In 2014, in defiance of the doctors’ prognosis and with the help of a team of local porters, Tommy tackled the Kokoda Trail—one of the world’s most gruelling hikes—to raise money for the Stroke Foundation. Despite his mobility being hampered as a result of the stroke, Tommy completed the trail in 12 days alongside his dad, his uncle, and his best friend. “Since day one, I have never come across a person like Tommy,” said Arnold Jinga, the head guide on the trail (who had completed the Kokoda Track some 113 times prior to meeting Tommy). “I couldn’t believe it when I saw it—physically witnessing what he did.”
“He had the heart, and that is very important,” said Tony Ogonemi, another Kokoda porter. “As long as you have the heart, you can do anything in life.”
Nearly 10 years later, in 2021, Tommy set off on the ‘4 Points Australia’ challenge. Three years in the making, the feat would see him ride his recumbent trike to all four corners of the country, covering a total of 9,889 kilometers in the process. After 189 days, one near-fatal car crash (that left him having to learn how to walk for a second time) and plenty of delays, Tommy completed his mission—raising AUD $124,000 for the Stroke Foundation.
