Welcome to Captain Australia. Online.

In 2008, I saw the world was slowly darkening, like a piece of fruit rotting slowly from the inside out. I resolved to become CAPTAIN AUSTRALIA, and stop this slow, insidious decline. My mission was three-fold and simple:

  • Do Good Deeds: find positive and meaningful ways demonstrate kindness
  • Fight Evil: stand up against cruelty and wrong-doing
  • Inspire Others: be funny, joyful, righteous, inspiring others to find their way to do the same

I failed in my Quest. I retired when my middle son was diagnosed with a serious health problem, and committed all my resources to helping him (he is thriving today).

I started a travel insurance company, which was also thriving, until the COVID border closures caused it’s collapse.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with a Stage 4, invasive head and neck cancer. The doctors gave me 6 months to live, with a 40-60% chance chemoradiation would save my life.

(FACEBOOK @CapsBIGWALK)

I got lucky. But there is no lucky with cancer, not really. I was in my prime, and it destroyed me. It doesn’t only try to kill you, it tries to rob you of your dignity, hope, sense of place in the world.

Over the next several years, I slipped into quiet existential crisis. Daily pain, gut-wrenching side effects, and underneath it, the thing that bothered me most, that hurt me the deepest: children have to go through this.

I realised I needed to bring Captain Australia back. I decided to do a BIG WALK for The Kids’ Cancer Project, where on 26.12.21 I will walk from Brisbane to Melbourne, by myself, no help, sleeping rough, dressed as the boofhead superhero Captain Australia.

THE PROJECT covered the BIG WALK, and I think they did a great job, below is the video which I feel captures the essence.

My goal is to raise support and funds for this incredibly worthy cause, and also to heal myself, to walk away from the cancer that tried to take away my life and my hope.

I can’t overstate the impact cancer had on my life. it almost killed me, but in surviving I face daily pain. The side effects are profound. I know you probably look at me and think “this guy is crazy !”, but please don’t allow that to colour a very important message: cancer nearly destroyed me, a strong (crazy?) grown man. It’s side effects and the fear of recurrence will follow me for the rest of my life. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT GO THROUGH THAT. It’s just wrong. Sorry, it’s just completely wrong. Even if you think what I’m doing is crazy – even if my Mad Quest ends in failure somehow – please carry the insights below in your heart. Help The Kids’ Cancer Project. Today. Please.

I wanted to create an online diary, for you (in case it could help you, or inspire you to find ways to make the world better) and for my children (in case the cancer came back to claim me, I could show them who their father was, how much light, and beauty and hope he saw in the world — and how much he loved them).

Oh, and if you’ve already donated to this worthy charity, but did it anonymously and didn’t receive the THANK YOU email, I recorded this message to thank you for your support.