Emergency nurse and father-of-two Ranjith Mudigere Chandrappa is one of 12 local dads attempting the gruelling 96-kilometre Kokoda Challenge in the Gold Coast hinterland next weekend.
The 37-year-old lives with subclinical hypothyroidism which makes it difficult to shift weight, but he is committed to conquering the event and to set an example for his young children.
"I'm trying hard to lose my weight but it's not going anywhere. It's hard but it's still doable and it's more of a mindset challenge," Mr Mudigere Chandrappa said.
"Being their father, I'm their role model and they're looking at me. It's as simple as monkey see monkey do, so if I set the right example they will follow.
After eight months of intensive training, 12 fathers and four family members will venture through rugged terrain – in dark, cold and potentially wet conditions – as part of the 2021 Kokoda Challenge.
'Ambition outweighed ability'
In 2008, 51-year-old father-of-two Mike Lang was forced to withdraw from the challenge after 56 kilometres, but this year he will set out to complete the course.
"My body was very different back in 2008, I stacked on the kilos and wasn't in a great headspace in terms of training and looking after myself but I gave it a crack," he said.
"There was a big gap between my ambition and my ability.
Following his defeat, Mr Lang completed the 19-day Everest Base Camp trek as well as Kilimanjaro and Mount Rainier in the United States.
Then in 2019, a dads-only physical and mental health program Legendaddy invited Mr Lang to help train a group of seven men to complete the 48-kilometre Kokoda track locally.
"The guys who had done the 48 persuaded me to give the 96 another crack which is this year," Mr Lang said
The Legendaddy Kokoda team has clocked 12 hours of hiking each week through the Nerang State Forest, Springbrook and Polly's Peak, improving their endurance to give them the best chance at crossing the finish line.
Fitness second to support
Mr Lang said the physical challenge of Kokoda was 'wonderful' but it came second to the judgement-free support network it is providing local men.
"A lot of the guys might have mates, but it doesn't mean they have true friends they can bounce things off if they're dealing with something tricky," he said.
"When you create that safe space and there's no judgement from the outside, you tend to open up a lot better – especially when you're out trekking.
