about michael
I was born in Switzerland in 1961, and immigrated to Australia with my mother, father and two sisters in the mid-60s. My dad was an old-school tough guy; hard working, hard drinking, hard playing - you get the drift. This hyper-masculine model of manhood was demanded of me as a young lad. One that would play a large role in me developing anxiety and depression as I grew older.
I joined the Royal Australian Navy when I was 15, mostly to get away from my dad. However, the male-only environment of the Navy in the late 70s (women joined the Women's service) only proved to emphasise the model of masculinity that I had learned from my father. My early years were spent in the same hard working, hard drinking, hard playing pursuit of manhood that had been handed down to me by my dad. I didn't realise how much this hurt me and others until much later in life.
I spent 35 years in full-time Navy service, including operational deployments to the Middle East, before taking up a position in the Australian Department of Defence as a Public Servant. I retired from full-time work in 2016 and moved to the community sector where I established myself as an educator and public speaker.
Since leaving Defence, I have worked primarily with young lads aged between 11-18 years of age. I have used my lived experience to develop programs that I have delivered to hundreds of young people, to help them develop the self-belief and skills to cope with the modern world.
I have also worked with sporting, trade and corporate groups, providing mental fitness presentations to help them develop the knowledge and skills to deal with the challenges the modern world provides.
In my time off I have a deep interest in strength sports. I am a competitive powerlifter; as well as a commentator for powerlifting and strongman competitions. As of 2023 I hold a number of national and world records and was named the International Powerlifting League World Champion Masters Overall at the World Championships in 2022.
I also strongly believe in the healing benefits of music. I am an enthusiastic karaoke singer and host karaoke shows for others as part of Silver Mongo Enterprises. I am also an experienced drummer, having played with local Canberra band The Black Souls for three years.
