A group of 25 students from Years 7 to 12, along with staff and parents recently accomplished a remarkable feat by hiking a challenging 48km track in the Gold Coast hinterland. Their purpose was to raise money for the Kokoda Youth Foundation. They were joined by team members from college partner, TechnologyOne, who also took on this tough team charity challenge.

In the weeks leading up to the 16-hour trek, teams dedicated over 15 hours a week outside school hours to their training. They also managed to raise over $6,000, generously matched by TechnologyOne, in support of the Kokoda Youth Foundation’s transformative programs.

The journey began in the Numinbah Valley with teams climbing five mountains with a total elevation of over 2000m. They crossed creeks and endured uneven, rocky terrain throughout the entire trail to the finish line in Nerang.

An enthusiastic support crew of parents, teachers and the team from TechnologyOne welcomed hikers at checkpoints with warm food, cold drinks, hugs and words of encouragement to keep them going.

Ann Rebgetz, the Principal of St James College, expressed her delight at the teams' accomplishment, praising their determination and the display of the true Kokoda spirit during the trek.

Kokoda Challenge Coordinator and Teacher Mr David Tan said it was an understatement to say the trek was hard.

“There was so much that tested our resolve from that second hill, to the aptly named Hellfire Pass, but all teams finished with all or most members making it to the end.”

“Spirits were high and the sense of accomplishment was written on all faces,” Tan said.

Teacher Ms Natalie Culross said students had learned a great deal about their own mental fortitude while completing the challenge.

“The Kokoda Youth Challenge is an extremely valuable initiative, demonstrating to our students what they are truly capable of when it comes to endurance and testing their own mental fortitude.”

Further Culross acknowledged the support of college partner TechnologyOne during the project.

“Our partnership with TechnologyOne was also instrumental in our teams’ successes, with the company not only being a major sponsor of the event itself, but also covering our registration, outfitting our teams with gear and supporting our fundraising effort.”

“A big congratulations to all students who participated, some are already planning Kokoda Youth Challenge 2024,” said Ms Culross.

Student Reflections

Molly, Year 10

On Saturday 15 July my team and five other teams of Jimmies students gathered for the Kokoda Challenge.  We decided to join because being outdoors, walking and exercising was a good way of making memories with our friends and having fun.  What we didn’t realise was it was probably the toughest, biggest and most challenging thing we could do at this age – maybe any age!  We walked through 30km or 48km of amazing scenery with terrific views but lots and lots of hills and mountains.  We walked all through the day and through most of the night. Our first team finished at around 10.30pm Saturday night and our last team made it home in time for the sun to come up on Sunday morning, around 4am.  My team did that massive hike in 15hrs and 33 mins. There were laughs, blisters, hot food, heaps of resilience, selfies, high emotions, tears, epic tumbles, some very interesting, not PG words, spoken and many, many hours of training. It was an amazing feeling to cross the finish line, see our families and friends waiting for us and hear them cheering for the Jimmies kids. We did it because of the support of Mr Tan, Ms Natalie, Ms Sue, Ms Meaghan, Mr Mark, Mr Ben, Mr K and Mr Alex and his onesie. We also had great support from our families. It was an amazing experience and some of us might even do it again!

John, Year 12

It was an exhaustive and arduous 48km, filled with many frustrations and challenges. Having been filled with excitement and anticipation we started our trek with laughs and smiles however our attitudes immediately depleted at the sight of our first mountain to climb. Despite the slow painful ascend we were once again re-energised at the peak, witnessing the picturesque Gold Coast skyline. We were beyond thankful to the efforts of our team leader Mr K and our lovely support crew. As the sun set, our attitudes quickly changed, laughter and smiles dissipating. By far the last 18km proved to be the most challenging due to the accumulation of fatigue and soreness. In the end, the sight of the finish line replenished our energy and our aching bodies felt healed. I’m glad I experienced this ordeal, it made me realise the barriers our body can surpass with the aid of our mind. In addition, I had the chance to further my friendships with my teammates and gain a deeper understanding of each other.  

Zac, Year 12

Kokoda for me, definitely adheres to its tormenting name. It was hard and not for the faint hearted. The spirit of Kokoda challenged teams to develop qualities of endurance, determination, courage and mateship. Such qualities were a necessity in order to accomplish such a mammoth milestone. The hills were by far the hardest, reaching kilometres in elevation. They hurt! However, after little breaks here and there, continuing on was the only answer. It takes real courage to continue despite of the never-ending pain that followed after each step. I would definitely recommend the challenge to anyone who feels they want to be challenged or just to simply prove they can achieve such a goal. You will prove people wrong. I proved people wrong. However, the most important part for me was the connections I got to make with my teammates which are now my closest friends. Team work, indeed, does always make the dream work.

Student Feedback

“Kokoda Challenge was tough. I learned how much strength I had and how deep I could go to find the strength to continue.”

“Kokoda Challenge allowed me to strengthen and improve my friendships.”

“The Kokoda Challenge was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. At the time it was so difficult I felt like I regretted my choice, but upon reflection I feel very proud of what I accomplished.”

“Kokoda was one of the biggest struggles I’ve ever had to overcome but definitely one of the most rewarding victories of my life. There are only a couple of things in your life that will bring you enlightenment and truth and Kokoda was that for me. If you are up for the challenge I highly recommend that you participate next year.”

“I originally joined the Kokoda Challenge for something to occupy my time but found that I enjoyed providing moral support when things got tough for my friends. I also learned that despite how tired I get walking long distances, I can achieve so much when I try to push through.”

“I noticed that during the Kokoda Challenge I was actually really good at motivating my friends to keep walking and stay positive.”