Upcoming Events › Menslink Midweeker

Dion has over 20 years of experience working in an around community development, and has established two successful businesses. Dion was awarded ACT NAIDOC Person of The Year for 2016. Dion is also an Ambassador for Indigenous Community Volunteers and was appointed to the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. Dion was deeply honoured by being named ACT Australian of the Year 2018. He hopes to use this profile to encourage Indigenous business and to progress the many social initiatives he has established. Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…

Remarkable physical strength helped Ben Farrinazzo, former Australian Army officer, to achieve two gold medals at the Invictus Games. His mental strength is the real story of his success at the Invictus Games. Mr Farinazzo's journey to the Games began with his deployment to East Timor in the late 1990s, something he regards as a highlight of his career because of the deep emotional connection he forged with the locals. However his service left him with emotional scars, eventually being diagnosed with PTSD. Ben Decided to use sport as a way to get on top of his physical and mental health, a fall on his mountain bike set him back again after breaking his neck and back in five places. In Hospital, Ben had to learn to walk again and it was in here that he had some important realisations about how to cope with life's challenges. Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…

Assistant Commissioner Ray Johnson joined the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in 1985. Since then he has carried out a full range of general policing and investigations duties both within ACT Policing and across Australia, investigating serious and organised crime at a local and national level. Assistant Commissioner Johnson has also undertaken international missions in East Timor, Cyprus and China where he was the regional manager for AFP international operations in north Asia, based in Beijing. He has held diverse command roles leading Special Operations, Professional Standards and AFP operations in both the Northern Territory and New South Wales. He commenced the role of Chief Police Officer for the ACT on 12 November 2018. Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…

After a severe knee injury, Canadian born Matt Harvey knew it was unlikely that he would play ice hockey again. Even when he tried to return to the sport he loved, he was forced to stop midseason due to the excruciating pain.  Faced with many challenges, unable to work, let alone walk, Harvey put his creative writing diploma to good use and penned his first novella A Hockey Nightmare. Six years later and the 33-year-old Canadian finds himself leading the Canberra Brave on their mission to win back to back Australian Ice Hockey League titles. Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…

Casper is known for cutting the locks of our city's most famous footballers. He became barber to the stars in 2009 when a young Canberra Raider arrived at training with a traditional Maori design shaved into the side of his head. Before long Casper's client list read like a "who's who" in the sporting world, everyone from Christian Lealiifano to Patty Mills! In the last three years, Canberra's most famous barber has become the father of four daughters: Eva (from wife Camille's first marriage) Twins Franki and Gigi, and Acacia. This brought on some big changes for Casper including starting a new salon so he can spend more time with his family. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5996975/forget-the-raiders-casper-the-barber-has-his-own-tiny-girl-squad/ Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…

He's been a homeless teenager, a soldier in Afghanistan, a gridiron player for Australia, a Churchill Fellow, a youth worker on call 24/7 and now a business owner. After leaving home at 15, Zack couch surfed and spent time on the streets, before he set a goal to join the army which turned his life around. He spent tours of duty in Afghanistan before post-traumatic stress disorder saw him medically discharged. So, Zack set himself another goal – to make the Australian gridiron team within 18 months. Remarkably, he was playing in the World Cup in the United States within 17 months. He then trained as a youth worker and was YouthCare Canberra’s first full-time outreach worker. In 2018, Zack was named ACT Young Australian of the Year for his work with at-risk youth. Today, he juggles professional speaking with running Bryers and Associates, a company that helps small businesses grow and leave a lasting legacy. Midweekers are available to women and men of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…