Hawthorn’s Kokoda Youth participants have begun their quest towards climbing the Kokoda Track in November.

11 young people from the City of Kingston region are taking part in a 16-week life skills program that includes mentoring and physical training leading up to the peak experience of trekking the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

Earlier last month, the participants were welcomed to the club by Hawthorn AFL players Will Golds, Harrison Jones and Jackson Ross who presented the participants with their Hawthorn Kokoda Challenge training tops.

Since then, the Kokoda Kids have trekked over 63km as a part of their training and have also taken part in a strength circuit run by Hawthorn Strength and Conditioning Coach Sean Murphy.

On October 5^th, the group are set to climb 48km as part of the Melbourne Kokoda Challenge. This will be the group’s final training hike before the Kokoda climb. 

If you’d like to join the group and take part in the 15km, 30km, or 48km Kokoda Challenge please click here to head to the Melbourne Kokoda Challenge registration page.

All proceeds from the event will go towards the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program, changing the lives of local young people like our Kokoda Kids below. 

The Kokoda Youth Challenge program has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Phillips Foundation and The Navarra Care Foundation. The club would like to thank both organisations for their support.