Camp Hero is a dream.
On the first day you’re opening up to people who are complete strangers, but they feel like your best mates within a day. Throughout the week, you do so many cool activities that push you out of your comfort zone. It’s the coolest experience I’ve ever had and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to apply.
Camp Hero taught me that I can speak up about my issues without feeling like I’m going to be judged. It’s a really safe environment that allows you to get anything off your chest that you want to. It allowed me to really let myself go and be my true self, in comparison to at school where I can sometimes feel restricted and judged.
The community created at camp is really special. Even the more reserved people start opening up, and in group challenges if people are struggling everyone supports and encourages each other. No-one finishes any of the activities until everyone is finished and no-one is left behind. It’s like a family. In the boys dorm, it felt like we were all brothers. I feel like I found my people. We all told our stories and looked out for each other. It was so awesome to feel that love and experience that brotherhood.
On camp, you also receive an accreditation called safeTALK. It’s all about being able to tell if someone is struggling or potentially having suicidal thoughts and being able to spot it early and act on it, listen to them, talk to them and refer help. Since camp, I have been able to go home to my school and sporting team and be able to identify some people that are struggling, whether it’s my mate or someone that I may not know that well, and just ask them if they’re okay. In my football club I know there’s some boys in there that really struggle and before camp I sometimes found it difficult to know what to say and check in on them without feeling like I’m intruding, but now I feel comfortable having those conversations and asking those important questions to help prevent suicide.
My advice for Camp Hero is to always dig in deeper and push and challenge yourself to get the best out of your experience.
