Stepping out when violence threatens children

Erle Levey

With the roar of the surf in the background and a following south-easterly breeze, Noosa hinterland’s Gary Cooper has been on a six-day walk to aid children impacted by violence.

And he doesn’t let being visually impaired as well as non-verbal get in the way of helping others.

Gary’s Heart and Sole Challenge has seen him walking more than 100km along the Sunshine Coast Coastal Pathway from Pelican Waters to Tewantin.

Gary, aged 39 and from Cooran, aimed to raise $20,000 for Zephyr Education Inc, to assist children who have been affected by domestic violence.

His mother, Roz Cooper, could not be more proud of his effort and was walking beside her son every step of the way.

She said it was important to…