Speaking to students at South Oakleigh College

Last month I spoke at South Oakleigh Secondary College to 100 year 8 and 10 students. A dream come true for me, as during my time at uni I was the one sitting and listening to the speaker versus being the speaker.

I spoke of my struggles/challenges with not fitting in, growing up as a first generation Greek Australian, having low self esteem, low self confidence, no self worth, which led to anger issues, eventually leading to mental health issues, such as slight depression and anxiety. I spoke of how therapy and Martial Arts, good friends and self belief helped me overcome many of these struggles, but to also reiterate that they didn’t cure me, they just helped me deal with situations in a better way. 

I also spoke about my motivation was re-ignited, about determination and not giving up, no matter how hard things are, that you just keep pushing on. And although martial arts and therapy have worked for me, it doesn’t mean it’s going to work for everyone, so I emphasised that we each need to find something that motivates us. 

The talk was very interactive, showing some of martial arts equipment, such as boxing gloves, focus mitts and sticks. This way the student and teachers had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the activities planned. I wanted them to also understand how learning something that not only teaches you how to protect yourself, also teaches self discipline, confidence, and importantly, empowerment. 

The students really enjoyed the talk, and I was asked to come back to teach a couple of boxing sessions.

If you are interested in running a session similar to this at your school, contact Vickie Simos at Thelo