Jerry is a veteran of the AFP Stability Response Team, East Timor and Solomon Islands. During a career at the sharp end of policing with AFP and SAPOL, a routine day at the gun range became the moment that changed everything.In this raw conversation on A Brothers Mind, we sit down with Jerry to unpack the reality of life in Policing. From the intensity of the Australian Federal Police to SAPOL to the internal identity crisis that follows two near career-ending moments, Jerry’s story is a masterclass in resilience.We explore why it isn’t always the big incidents that break a man, but the cumulative weight and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of the service. Jerry shares the turning point at the firearms range that changed his trajectory and how he is now rebuilding a mission through the M1R Alliance.

If this conversation resonates with you, listen to our deep-dive on mental health and first responder trauma with Matt Newlands

CHAPTERS

(00:00) From the military to high-risk frontline policing

(13:07) Deploying with the elite AFP Operations Response Group

(17:42) Protecting the East Timor president from assassination

(23:31) Stepping back to manage first responder burnout

(32:53) Returning to the SAPOL State Tactical Response Group

(41:34) Surviving a knife attack on duty as a new father

(47:03) The exact moment the police force took his gun

(50:00) Surviving severe police PTSD and hitting rock bottom

(54:15) Building the M1R Alliance for first responder mental health

Content Warning: This episode contains raw discussions of severe depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. If you or a mate need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.

Connect with M1R Alliance

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m1r_alliance
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m1ralliance
• Web: https://m1ralliance.com.au/

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At four years old, Tom Haxby’s parents were told he would never walk. Diagnosed with Perthes disease, his pelvis effectively dissolving, he spent years of his childhood confined to full-body plaster casts and stilts.

Today, Tom is an elite personal trainer and a single father operating on an uncompromising standard of discipline. In this episode, we strip away the ego of the fitness industry to examine the raw mechanics of resilience. Tom details the reality of his childhood, the daily grind of raising a child solo while running a business, and how losing his best mate to stage four cancer at 28 permanently dismantled his tolerance for excuses.

This is a clinical look at what it actually takes to build a life from a dire medical prognosis.

Connect with Tom:

• Instagram: @hf_fitness88

Chapters:

(00:00) A dissolved pelvis and learning to walk again

(09:14) The standard: Where discipline actually comes from

(13:37) 20 years in the trenches: Building an elite PT business

(23:26) The unvarnished reality of single fatherhood

(27:29) Overcoming the fear of raising a daughter solo

(33:08) Why physical discipline anchors mental health

(35:23) The ultimate reality check: Losing a best mate at 28

(39:26) Live mentoring: 16-year-old Bailey takes the mic

(46:00) Pushing past comfort zones and building youth confidence

(52:43) Stripping the ego from the fitness industry

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What started as a conversation about what success is turned into a completely unscripted deep dive into faith, accountability, and the actual cost of ambition.

With Uncle Luke unavailable, Producer Tim was supposed to ask the questions but he just took over instead! He talks about the reality of stepping into his faith to change his life, and we also explore the price of ambition, how scaling a business takes a toll on relationships, the moment success was redefined forever for Heath after Poppy’s diagnosis and the only currency that actually matters: Time.

Chapters:

(00:00) The conversation on success we didn't expect

(00:54 When the Producer takes over the pod

(05:52) Tim’s transformation: From the floor to Faith

(11:02) Heath’s 3 pillars of a successful life

(18:16) Sacrifice in relationships

(24:15) Faith as a foundation

(33:50) The hidden price of ambition

(41:50) Redefining success: The day Poppy got sick

(46:00) Time: The only currency you can't earn back

(50:10) Advice for the next generation of men

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