On the other side of the GV Hwy is Shepparton Jiu-Jitsu, a self-defence academy which is much more than it seems.
After discovering the Gnarly90, a 90-day campaign which will see Gnarly Neighbours’ chief executive Jayden Sheridan tackle a 90km run, Shepparton Jiu-Jitsu’s co-founder and co-owner Marcus Cipriani knew exactly how to get involved.
Set to participate in what’s dubbed as the ‘Shark Tank’, Mr Cipriani is ready to face the heat for a cause close to Gnarly Neighbours’ heart.
“It’s 90 minutes of, pretty much, non-stop rolling,” he said.
“Every three to five minutes, we’ll get a fresh partner in to, essentially, just try to beat me up. We’ll have students, people from other gyms come across, and even the other instructors that are here.”
Chatting to Mr Sheridan about his idea of aiding “lost kids”, Mr Cipriano found the values of the Seymour youth intervention organisation to align closely with those of Shepparton Jiu-Jitsu.
“Me and Pete, the other co-founder, we didn’t come from the best backgrounds growing up, and we didn’t really have places to go or things to do in Shepparton,” Mr Cipriani said.
“When we started this, our main goal was to try and give back to the kids and let them know there is something else you can do in Shepparton.
“You talk about the youth in Shepparton, you see kids running around late at night, and it’s never anything good. It’s always, ‘they’re up to no good,’ ‘their parents are terrible’, they’re this, they’re that.
“But have you talked to these kids? Have you gone up and asked, ‘what are you doing’?”
Similarly, Gnarly Neighbours’ mission is founded on its chief executive’s experience growing up in Seymour and being “caught up with the wrong crowd”.
The Gnarly90 is a nationwide campaign, which can be completed by anyone, anywhere at any time, to support Gnarly Neighbours in setting up bases across the country, focusing on prevention for disadvantaged Australian youth rather than reaction.
The Neighbourhood Hub has already proven to be beneficial to Seymour, providing the town’s young people with a space for connection and belonging.
In participating in his ‘Shark Tank’, Mr Cipriani is hoping not only to raise money for Gnarly Neighbours’ cause, but also to shed light on the support available for those in Shepparton.
“It’s a safe space. It’s not always about jiu-jitsu and beating people up, which is a positive part of it that we love,” he said.
“But it’s more a space that you can come in, be with like-minded people and just have a chat.”
He also hoped to spread how vital a simple conversation can be.
“Don’t just demoralise and dehumanise (young people), talk to them. Have a conversation, they’re normal humans, too,” Mr Cipriani said.
“You’d be surprised what a normal conversation with someone could do it - how it can change their life.”
14°C