Will is a Soldier On Ambassador and an ex-serving member of the ADF and the AFP.
He is now the Founder and Coach of MAKING MEN, a private Facebook Group aimed
at supporting good men everywhere.
Will states that “as Defence & First Responders the code we live by involves
courage, mateship, sacrifice, and endurance. When something breaks inside us &
we can no longer perform that code – our jobs, we are often challenged to find
other meaning & direction in our lives”.
After eight years in the ADF & 17 years in the AFP, Will was diagnosed with chronic
PTSD in 2017 and experienced firsthand the need to have the right support. By
sharing his story, Will hopes to help and support others to get the right support.
Will did not believe for one minute that he would ever be diagnosed with PTSD. He
had helped mates through it in the past but never felt he would be susceptible.
Then within a very short space of time in late 2017, Will was faced with the reality of
PTSD and this started to affect every aspect of his life, from work, family, health,
and physical fitness. Through this, Will had the support of a few good mates who
had been there before. Without the right support, it is a very difficult process and
easy for a person to fall off the radar into helplessness.
By joining Soldier On, Will hopes that by telling his story, he can help others and
become a conduit of support if they ever find themselves in a similar situation & get
the right help & support. If he can help one person through his story and
experiences, then it has been successful. We are thrilled to have Will a part of the
Soldier On family.