The WOW Factor: Participant Cooky Shares His Story
‘Cooky’, fourth from right, during the Noosa program
Words: Will Dennis
“Life happens, but I can stay grounded”.
Mark ‘Cooky’ Cook, 47, was a participant in a surf therapy program in Noosa at the end of 2021.
Cooky jumped on the opportunity to attend after hearing about the program from his wife. He was motivated to attend as he “wanted to meet new people, to have a place to share, offload and get helpful information to help me with my own personal struggles, and learn to surf on the way”.
As a master mariner and vessel engineer, Cooky was comfortable in the water. A memorable anecdote he shared was how he often felt more comfortable all alone in the middle of the ocean than he did in a room full of people. Despite a confident and friendly demeanor, Cooky initially felt reluctant to open up about his own personal struggles.
“Opening up about my stuff, bloke stuff that blokes find it hard to discuss…I just needed to get started!”
Two sessions into the program Cooky did just that, disclosing sensitive information about his past that had morphed into repressed anger throughout his adult life. In displaying this vulnerability, Cooky inspired others to open up as well. It became apparent many had been dealing with similar emotions and traumas in their own lives. This had a profoundly bonding effect on the group and really normalised those negative feelings Cooky had.
“I learnt that what I was going through was normal. I just needed to learn how to deal with it in a way that was sustainable and appropriate for me. Life happens but I can stay grounded”.
Over the next few weeks Cooky not only learnt to surf (quite well, although he would never admit to that!) but also picked up some valuable lessons about mental health and wellbeing.
“Mental health affects how we think, feel and act, it determines how we relate to others, deal with stress and what choices we make. So, understanding it and how it works with you personally is important to keep relationships healthy, make the right choices and to take control of our wellbeing.”
Cooky inspired the group not only with his vulnerability but also his warmth and empathy, and infectious passion for surfing. He showed how much power there is in vulnerability, in sharing the ‘bloke stuff’. And although Cooky found sharing his story challenging he said, “The most rewarding part was meeting new people and feeling safe to share some of the hard stuff”.
After completing the program Cooky has found new ways of dealing with life’s challenges.
“I now have someone that I call to talk to when I need help. I use techniques to calm myself when I need to relax or when I can’t sleep.”
He left the WOW program with new surfing skills, a wonderful support network of new friends and mental health coping strategies to use going into the future.
Cooky enjoys a happy home life with his beautiful wife and three kids. He is a valued member of the ever-growing WOW community on the Sunshine Coast.
We’re all about bringing the WOW factor to mental health, so keep an eye out for these magic case studies in the future as we dive deep into what makes people tick, and the essence of their experience with WOW. If you'd like to share your story, drop us a line!