​​​Kokoda Challenge 2023

Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge

The values of the Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge charity align with the Tamborine Mountain State High School guiding motto of 'Strive for the Highest', motivating our students to aim to achieve personal excellence in their endeavours.

The 96-kilometre Kokoda Challenge was inspired by the Australian World War II soldiers of the 39th Militia, who trekked the length of the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, covering 96 kilometres in 39 hours. The focus during the Challenge is on the Kokoda values of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice, with participants supporting each other to finish together as a team, within 39 hours, in honour of the spirit forged on the Kokoda Track in 1942.

Tamborine Mountain State High School's Kokoda Challenge journey began in 2022 with five teams, then grew in 2023 to include almost 50 students across thirteen teams. The Kokoda Challenge offers endurance events of 30, 48 and 96 kilometres, in which teams trek non-stop, through the rugged, mountainous, and beautiful terrain of south-east Queensland. In the months leading up to the Kokoda Challenge, students commit to fundraising to support the Kokoda Challenge Youth Programs, to training, and to building a strong team ethic. During the Challenge, students rely on and strengthen their physical, mental and emotional perseverance and resilience, and further develop their team-work skills. The positive impact of the Kokoda experience on each student's confidence and sense of self-worth is immeasurable.

“I am so grateful to be part of such a generous and community-oriented school that not only thinks of others, but acts to make a difference in the world in so many different ways!"

                                                                                                                           Parent, July '23 ​