Week four of Young Bruthas started at 9:00am sharp with a tour of the Australian Defence Force which included a fitness test, an over-water obstacle course, and a visit to the War Memorial.

The fitness test was led by two ADF Career Officers and included stretching and warm up exercises. After a warm up, the ADF Career Officers took participants through a discussion about ADF pathways and expectations.

Once that discussion was finished, the Young Bruthas group jumped into the ADF fitness test, which is the entry-level fitness requirements for the ADF. The group did push ups, sit ups, plank holds, and the beep test. Every one of the group was engaged and put in as much effort as possible to complete the test. A test like this isn’t just about fitness – it encourages discipline, effort, and personal accountability.

After their trial by fitness test, the Young Bruthas group moved onto the pool area where they listened to a safety briefing from the ADF Officers and participated in a short swim to demonstrate competency.

After this, the participants jumped into the over-water obstacle course and despite having no experience on this obstacle course, every one of them showed determination and a willingness to participate. One of the group even came close to completing the course, which is a huge achievement! Like the fitness test, this obstacle course is about more than physical capability – it teaches resilience, teamwork, dedication, and inspires confidence in trying new challenges.

After the fitness test and over-water obstacle course, participants were split into two groups to speak with the ADF Career Officers who shared their personal journeys and gave insight into what careers in the ADF are like.

At 12:00pm the group ate lunch before heading off to the War Memorial for a two-hour tour. Throughout the tour, the Young Bruthas group was respectful, engaged, and appropriate. Week four was a busy day for the Young Bruthas group, but it was a valuable, engaging, and insightful day for the group.

The combination of physical challenge in the fitness test and over-water obstacle course, the structured learning, and the exposure to potential career pathways from the ADF Career Officers made for an incredibly impactful day. Every one of the Young Bruthas participants showed their resilience, teamwork, determination, and respect across all activities and these activities helped them build confidence and introduce them to new opportunities.