Kokoda+ Trek
Donation protected
Hi my name is Matt Hall. Welcome to my GoFundMe page, raising money for the HIV Foundation QLD.
In June 2017 I will be embarking on a group expedition to trek the historically significant Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, under the leadership of the amazing olympic medalist Ji Wallace.
Currently I am a beyondblue Ambassador and part of their Public Speakers Bureau educating the community about mental health. I volunteer with Lifeline crisis counselling (Suicide Prevention) and are on the Board of Queensland Positive People.
Ji himself lives with HIV and has inaugurated this trek to raise funds for a cause close to his heart. Themed ‘You Are Stronger Than You Think’, this trek aims to break down the stigma around living with HIV. We know today that a person living with HIV (PLHIV), on treatment with a supressed viral load = uninfectious.
I too are living with HIV. I was once banned from playing Australian Rules football for being positive. This ban was overturned in the Vic Civil & Administrative Tribunal, setting an International legal precedent. As a result of the Court decision, the Federal Heallth Minister at the time made a budget allocation to ensure all sports across Australia were appropriately educated and complied with the ruling.
A little know fact about me is I was the first Australian Rules footballer to publicly come out as gay in an interview with Blue Magazine, Issue 41, October 2002.
A full length documentary will be filmed throughout the entire trek. It’ll follow the trekkers and tell their stories of empowerment and how they ended up where they are today. Being able to tell my story in a professionally filmed documentary is something I am looking forward to doing.
Ji's sentiment that "you are stronger than you think" resonates with his decision to embark on a fundraising event that was worthy of such a mantra.
Successfully completing the Kokoda Trail will test body and mind, challenging each participant physically, mentally & spiritually. Trials & tribulations are to be expected, matched only by our triumphs, sense of accomplishment & of course, some good old-fashioned self discovery.
Please help me reach my target and enable me to go and personally prove through the successful completion of the Kokoda trail that PLHIV can achieve anything they put thier minds to. And in turn, help end stigma, improve the lived experience of PLHIV everywhere and ultimately END HIV.
If you can't donate, no prob's! A shared link counts as cash in my books :)
For more infomation about the Kokokda+ trek please click on this link
http://hivfoundation.org.au/news/blog/breaking-stigma-around-living-hiv-kokoda-stronger-you-think
Sincere thanks
Matt
In June 2017 I will be embarking on a group expedition to trek the historically significant Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, under the leadership of the amazing olympic medalist Ji Wallace.
Currently I am a beyondblue Ambassador and part of their Public Speakers Bureau educating the community about mental health. I volunteer with Lifeline crisis counselling (Suicide Prevention) and are on the Board of Queensland Positive People.
Ji himself lives with HIV and has inaugurated this trek to raise funds for a cause close to his heart. Themed ‘You Are Stronger Than You Think’, this trek aims to break down the stigma around living with HIV. We know today that a person living with HIV (PLHIV), on treatment with a supressed viral load = uninfectious.
I too are living with HIV. I was once banned from playing Australian Rules football for being positive. This ban was overturned in the Vic Civil & Administrative Tribunal, setting an International legal precedent. As a result of the Court decision, the Federal Heallth Minister at the time made a budget allocation to ensure all sports across Australia were appropriately educated and complied with the ruling.
A little know fact about me is I was the first Australian Rules footballer to publicly come out as gay in an interview with Blue Magazine, Issue 41, October 2002.
A full length documentary will be filmed throughout the entire trek. It’ll follow the trekkers and tell their stories of empowerment and how they ended up where they are today. Being able to tell my story in a professionally filmed documentary is something I am looking forward to doing.
Ji's sentiment that "you are stronger than you think" resonates with his decision to embark on a fundraising event that was worthy of such a mantra.
Successfully completing the Kokoda Trail will test body and mind, challenging each participant physically, mentally & spiritually. Trials & tribulations are to be expected, matched only by our triumphs, sense of accomplishment & of course, some good old-fashioned self discovery.
Please help me reach my target and enable me to go and personally prove through the successful completion of the Kokoda trail that PLHIV can achieve anything they put thier minds to. And in turn, help end stigma, improve the lived experience of PLHIV everywhere and ultimately END HIV.
If you can't donate, no prob's! A shared link counts as cash in my books :)
For more infomation about the Kokokda+ trek please click on this link
http://hivfoundation.org.au/news/blog/breaking-stigma-around-living-hiv-kokoda-stronger-you-think
Sincere thanks
Matt
Organizer
Matt Hall
Organizer
Elanora QLD
