Help Liam and the Blonde Mullet Brigade raise funds for I AM HOPE

Like most kiwis, I've had my fair share of haircuts , but a mullet is not a doo I have had the guts to pull off. Until now...

13 year old me on the left of my photo had the choice to let loose and grow a mullet, but instead, I cowered and retreated, died my hair black in a misguided attempt to express how I felt inside to the external world.

I pushed away those around me, choosing instead to be a lonely victim of circumstances beyond my control but most sadly, a victim to myself, my inner-critic and daily suppression of my emotions. All so no one would see the cracks forming from the inside. Cracks that would eventually, like a large percentage of our youth, lead to pushing the off button and years of depression and suicidal ideations.

Thankfully, 15 years later, I am still here and no longer suffer in silence thanks to years of intentional personal growth. Had 13 year old me been taught that his feelings were normal, and how to deal with them, life could've been a lot easier, a lot more fun, a lot sooner.

I see I AM HOPE's mission as a beacon of light for the next generation trapped in a broken system with increasing social pressures. A way for kids to realise their hidden potential by talking through their feelings, to understand and transcend trauma as it happens, and to get help BEFORE it's too late.

So, here I stand, to do my bit, to grow the filthiest mullet in the name of HOPE and raise as much as I can to help the kids like me, have a bit more faith in tomorrow.