By Peter Douglas
Monbulk’s Mike Coen is travelling much lighter these days.
Much, much lighter.
After selling his house and all his belongings – “Yes, all of them” – he’s preparing to “start again” and “give back to the world”.
At the ripe age of 65, the hills local next month will fly out to Spain and undertake the historic pilgrimage, the El Camino de Santiago, all while aiming to raise $100,000 to help Nepalese orphans.
With only a backpack weighing 10 kilograms, no guides and no accommodation booked, Mike will walk over 900 kilometres from Saint Jean Pied de Port, in the south of France, over the Pyrenees mountains and across to the north of Spain.
He will make a stop at the famous Santiago de Compostella, before trekking on to the Atlantic coast and finishing at Finisterre.
Mike openly admits some have called his quest a little crazy, but says there is method to the ‘madness’.
“Life’s been pretty good to me. I’ve had a really good corporate life. I’ve raised three kids in this fantastic community of Monbulk,” he said.
“But sometimes you’ve got to give back what you’ve taken out. In my heart, I know I’ve got to give back to this world.”
Mike said he had found others’ accounts of the pilgrimage particularly appealing.
“This is a walk where I can get away from the material things of the world and get back to basics. I’m also hoping to discover what to do in the next phase of my life,” he said.
“I don’t want to hang up the boots, retire and waddle off into the sunset. I’ve got far too much energy for that.”
The ‘giving back’ part of the journey will take the form of helping Albury-based charity, Meg’s Children.
Through a friend, Mike discovered and learnt about the charity, which he said resonated with him immediately.
Started by nurse Trish Ryan, Meg’s Children was born largely from her own experience as a volunteer at a Nepalese orphanage.
Ms Ryan was not only taken aback at the plight of the children, but frustrated over the “corrupt management” and “exploitation” of the children.
From this experience, she started the orphanage, which takes in children, feeds and clothes them, and assists in getting them back into school.
Meg’s Children is entirely volunteer-operated, with 97 per cent of all funds going directly to funding their programs in Nepal.
“They’re just good Australian people who put together a charity and it’s helping disadvantaged kids, who couldn’t even dream of what we have,” Mike said.
“It resonated with me, because I’m not just about going to Nepal and handing over a bowl of rice … and walking away and feeling good.
“It’s a matter of doing the hard yards and taking kids off the streets, who don’t have any means of support.”
Mike has already raised and donated significant funds to Meg’s Children, but still has a long way to go to reach his target of $100,000.
As such, during his trek, Mike has started a blog and will share his experiences along the way, while also encouraging others to donate to his chosen charity.
Mike is set to leave Australia on Monday 21 August and he expects the journey to take more than two months to complete.
He admits he feels some trepidation about what lies ahead, but urged others to show their support.
To keep up to date with Mike’s journey, or for more details on how to donate, visit https://mcoensjourney.wordpress.com.
