STRONGER TOGETHER: What Kokoda taught me after I came home

"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week, Tanya discusses the powerful lessons of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice she gained from walking the Kokoda Track.

By IMPACT Community Services Managing Director Tanya O'Shea

When I first committed to walking the Kokoda Track, I thought the challenge would be reaching the finish line. I expected the steep climbs, mud, heat, exhaustion, sleeping rough and physical demands to be the greatest test.

What I didn't anticipate was how much the experience would stay with me after I returned home.

Weeks later, my body is still recovering. Swollen knees and tired muscles are daily reminders of the 110 kilometres we covered. Yet the deeper lessons have little to do with physical endurance and everything to do with the values represented at the Battle of Isurava: Courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.

Courage is often imagined as a grand act in a moment of crisis. Kokoda taught me that courage is more often found in small decisions. It is the decision to take the next step when the climb ahead looks impossible. It is backing yourself when uncertainty creeps in. It is saying yes to a challenge before you know whether you are capable of completing it. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is moving forward despite it. As leaders, parents, friends and community members, we are called on to show this kind of courage every day.

Endurance was perhaps the lesson I expected to learn. The track teaches you quickly that there are no shortcuts. Progress comes one step at a time. There were moments when I was physically exhausted and mentally drained, yet somehow the only option was to keep moving forward. It reinforced a lesson that applies equally to life: success is rarely about extraordinary bursts of effort. More often, it is about consistency, persistence, grit, and the willingness to continue when things are hard.

What surprised me most was the importance of mateship. While completing Kokoda is often viewed as an individual achievement, the reality is that nobody completes it alone. We encouraged one another, shared challenges, celebrated milestones and supported each other through difficult moments. The bonds formed through shared adversity are genuine and lasting. It reminded me that leadership is not about standing in front of people; it is about walking beside them. We achieve far more when we lean on one another and recognise that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.

The fourth pillar, sacrifice, was the most profound. Walking in the footsteps of those who served during World War II, including my own grandfather, brought history to life in a way no book or documentary ever could. Hearing stories on the track, standing where battles were fought and attending informal services at unmarked gravesites created moments of quiet reflection that I will never forget. The conditions these young men endured, the courage they displayed and the sacrifices they made are difficult to comprehend. The experience left me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and a deeper appreciation of those who came before us and gave so much.

Completing Kokoda was an achievement I will always treasure, but the finish line was never the most important part of the journey.

The true gift of Kokoda was the reminder that courage helps us begin, endurance keeps us moving, mateship carries us forward, and sacrifice gives meaning to what we do.

Walking in the footsteps of those who served brought these values to life in a way I could never have anticipated. What I found on the track was much more than a physical challenge. I found a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of community, and the privilege of learning more about a significant part of our nation’s history.

The track may be behind me, but the lessons of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice will remain with me, continuing to shape how I approach leadership, how I respond to challenges and how I think about what is truly important.

Some journeys end when you reach your destination. Kokoda was different. The walking may be over, but the learning continues.