When Elliot travelled from Broome to Perth to attend Camp Hero, it was the beginning of an experience that would help shape his confidence, leadership and future. For many regional young people, distance can make opportunities like this hard to access – but with support from Telethon, Elliot was able to join other young people from across Western Australia for the 5 day leadership camp.
Before camp, Elliot says life felt uncertain.
“Life was very uncertain and uncomfortable for me,” Elliot explains. “Even though I wasn’t sure how, I wanted to feel happy and confident.”
Camp Hero brings together young people from across the state for five days unplugged and out in the bush, where they take part in outdoor challenges, workshops and conversations designed to help build resilience, confidence, leadership and connection.
For Elliot, one of the moments that has stayed with him most was something simple.
“Definitely spending time with the new friends I made,” Elliot says. “No phones really made a difference and combined with the beautiful landscape at Nanga Bush Camp, I felt really carefree and happy.”
But beyond the friendships, the experience helped Elliot begin to approach conversations differently.
“Before camp, talking about what was troubling me wasn’t even an option in my mind – I was too afraid of judgement and being vulnerable,” Elliot says. “Camp has definitely helped me with starting conversations that seem scary to initiate. Now that I have the confidence to talk about uncomfortable things, I can use that ability to help others do that too.”
That shift in confidence has since led Elliot to step into a leadership role as a member of the WA Department of Education’s Student Council, representing the Kimberley and helping bring student perspectives into conversations about education and wellbeing.
“Camp Hero showed me that there were other people struggling like me, and gave me hope in life improving,” Elliot says. “So I joined the WA Student Council as a way to put myself out there and shed a light on problems teenagers face.”
In the role, Elliot works with other students across the state to identify issues affecting young people and help shape priorities for change.
“Representing the Kimberley, my job is to report on problems in the community to bring attention to issues,” Elliot explains. “Once we’ve compiled issues to work on, we create priority areas that focus on improving those issues, usually by liaising with schools and Department of Education officers to discuss changes.”
The skills Elliot developed at Camp Hero continue to influence how he supports others in the role today.
“Things such as safeTALK – the suicide prevention training we do at camp – have been brought into suggestions for improving school support networks,” Elliot says. “I’ve also been able to notice when others aren’t feeling too good and am able to chat with them using what I’ve learnt from Camp Hero.”
Looking back, Elliot believes opportunities like Camp Hero can have a lasting impact, particularly for young people who might be struggling with confidence.
“I think that prior to camp, it would’ve taken me a lot longer, if at all, to build up the self-confidence to apply for something like the WA Student Council,” Elliot says.
As zero2hero celebrates being named a 2026 Telethon beneficiary, stories like Elliot’s highlight the long-term impact of investing in young people and ensuring opportunities are accessible to those living in regional communities.
For Elliot, the influence of the experience continues to shape how he approaches both leadership and life.
“Camp Hero has inspired me in many aspects of my life,” Elliot says. “When I think back to how it helped me come out of my shell and increase my confidence amongst people I’d never met before, it definitely transfers into how I socialise today. I aim to be a supportive person that people can come up and chat to about anything.”
And as Elliot continues his studies and prepares for the future, those lessons remain just as important.
“Camp definitely helped me in maintaining my mental health – nowadays, especially as I’m doing ATAR, it’s super important for me not to fall back into bad mental health.”
