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The notorious Kokoda Track is physically and mentally gruelling, testing the mettle of even the most seasoned trekkers. But for Matt O'Hare, it's a challenge he is more than up to.
The Kokoda Trail is a notoriously difficult trek to make. The now 51-year-old Matt will contend with the nearly 100 kilometre long, single file track in Papua New Guinea. Hiking the trail typically takes one to two weeks.
Between the ages of 20 and 30, O'Hare served as an aircraft tradesperson in the Army and spent time in Timor and New Guinea.
"I was flicking through my Facebook and stuff and up came a thing for the Black Dog Institute... and I thought 'bugger it, I'm going to give this a crack' and raise some money for the Black Dog Institute and fulfil a little bit of a dream of mine that I've had and lose a bit of weight too, along the way," he said.
It was Matt's wife Janet who pushed him over the line and suggested he commit to the trek.
Not long after Matt left the Army he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and credits the Black Dog Institute with helping him work through the diagnosis and live a full life. A long-time dream of Matt's was the walk the Kokoda Trail.
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"I got diagnosed after I got to Mudgee - through my GP first - I found that things weren't going right and my wife told me like, 'you really need to go and see a Doctor because you're not acting right'.
"The GP referred me to the local psych team at the hospital and I got myself sorter there on basic medications to get myself right again and they suggested I have a look at this Black Dog Institute. I started reading all through their information that they had which was really good background information for me on my medications, the disorder itself, how it affects other people, I could reflect on how it affected me and that I wasn't alone."
When Matt spoke with the Mudgee Guardian he had been preparing and training himself for eight weeks with another eight to go before he flies out of the country on November 7.
"I'm going to give it the best crack I've got. I've been doing pack walks and I also train at Anytime [Fitness]... I started off by myself and then they fixed me up with a training plan which has been really helpful," he said.
Training is essential, but for all the preparation, Matt said he doesn't want to know exactly what he's in for just yet.
"I don't want to know, I want it to be a complete surprise. I've seen the terrain, I've been over there before and I'm well aware of the terrain and the humidity and the heat so that won't be a surprise," he said.
"I just want it to be a 'it is what it is' sort of situation, I know I'll be carrying a 12 kilogram pack. I've been training with that - or similar to that. I'm getting familiar with Mount Misery, that's about as steep and rocky as you can get around here."
Matt credits his friends and work colleagues with helping aid in his recovery.
"With mental illness that I've suffered and come good with - it's taken a long time... to get sorted out. The people in Mudgee that I've had to deal with have been fantastic with," he said.
"Everyone from Grant Gjessing, Dick Gooley, Goodo (Andrew Goodlet) over at P&A Engineering have all been very helpful insofar as when I've had to change my medications and things like this to get myself better and better.
"They've really had a lot of time for it and have really been able to help out. It's just been fantastic."
Matt has a modest goal of raising $3500 for the institute and donations can be made until he completes the trek.
We have included a QR Code link to Matt's fundraising page in the image above that you can scan with your mobile device and donate.
