One of the most warmly received awards in the Australia Day Honours was that received by Menslink CEO Martin Fisk.
It was a measure of the extent of his good work in the Canberra community that he received hearty congratulations from far and wide after being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Mr Fisk, 54, received the honour for service to the community through social welfare organisations, most prominently as CEO of Menslink since 2011.
The organisation, which this year celebrates its 20th year, supports young men across the Canberra region by inspiring them to speak up when they need help, providing counselling and mentoring them with the aid of positive male role models.
"On the one hand, it's a huge honour and I am intensely grateful to the people who nominated me. It's a wonderful recognition," he said.
"On the other hand, I'm just one person at Menslink. If it was up to me, the letters OAM would be an 'Order for All of Menslink'. We have hundreds of people who dedicate part or all of their lives to helping our young guys and their families."
Supporting young men might not be the most fashionable cause but it is one of the most critical.
"We're seeing a lot of anxiety and a lot of hopelessness about the future and for young men, what that can result in is them doing harm to themselves. Suicide is still the leading killer of young men, more than skin cancer and road accidents combined," he said.
"Or, they do harm to those around them. Nearly one in 10 arrests for family violence in any given year by ACT Policing is young boys and men aged 10 to 18.
"So our job is to help them back on their feet, help them build their resilience, their mental fitness and their emotional self-regulation. And help them do that in a way with the least amount of harm to themselves and those around them."
Mr Fisk grew up in Sydney and moved to Canberra in 2003. He's worked in the public and private sector and a volunteer for charities "probably all my life". He's completed an impressive 11 Vinnies CEO Sleepouts. He was also vice-chair of the ACT Council of Social Service from 2014 to 2020.
"I think my first Vinnies door knock I was, like, five," he said.
"I've always lived a life where I've tried to contribute and give back. And I just had an opportunity in 2011 and I went, 'You know, I really want to join the community sector, but I have no idea what that means'.
"I put the word out across my network and the universe and someone said, 'Hey, these Menslink people are looking for a CEO, why don't you give them a call?'. And I sat down with my predecessor and he talked about the work on Menslink and, for me, as somebody who had serious mental health issues as a young man, I went, 'Wow, this could really be for me'. And I never looked back."
Mr Fisk is open about the struggles he had as a young man.
"I had pretty significant depression. Like so many of our client base, I went through that self-medication pathway. I had very extensive bullying as a kid through a range of schools. And just thought, 'Wow, maybe I can use the skills I have to be able to make a difference to other young men'," he said.
Mr Fisk lives in Bonython with wife Sandra. He has two daughters, Charlotte and Maddie, and two stepchildren, Kat and Kyle.
As his Facebook feed attests, one of his favourite ways to deal with stress is to get out and enjoy nature.
"It's a pretty tough job, it's a demanding job. You're on call really seven days a week and you can never predict when something is going to happen and someone is going to need your help," he said.
"And, being able to get out into nature keeps me grounded and helps me realise the world is so much bigger than any particular problems I've got at the time."
Late last year, he and other local CEOs walked 142km along Canberra's Centenary Trail, raising more than $350,000 for Menslink.
It was a chance to bond and network, but more importantly, keep sustaining the work on Menslink, which like so many organisations in the face of COVID has "got a very volatile fundraising environment at the moment".
One of the people who nominated Mr Fisk for the Australia Day award was former Canberra journalist David Sharaz, who has talked publicly about his own past mental health struggles.
"For years I've seen Martin's tireless dedication to supporting others, all with a goal of removing the stigma which surrounds mental health," Mr Sharaz said.
"We all need someone in life to lean on but not everyone has the strength to support you, Martin does. There's not a phone call he won't answer or a person he won't lift up, and I can't think of anymore more deserving of this recognition.
"In life you have to surround yourself with a village of people who have your back, and I'm honoured to have Martin in mine."
MORE AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS:
- Dylan Alcott named Australian of the Year
- Meet the major award winners of the Australia Day honours list
- Canberran Valmai Dempsey wins Senior Australian of the Year
- Peter McGrath kicks an Australia Day Honours goal
- 'Our future is brighter than our past': Patty Mills uniting a nation
- Half century of sport for Vergano OAM
- Rod Sims, now Rod Sims AO, wants to fix the world
- ANU academic honoured alongside highest ever portion of women
- Dewani Bakkum's service to migrants and refugees honoured
- Former chief scientist Alan Finkel made companion of the Order of Australia
- Champion for the disabled Sue Salthouse said 'yes' to every challenge
- Deepak-Raj Gupta OAM blazed a new political trail
- David Gruen AO stepped up as chief statistician during pandemic
- Bonnie Carter dedicates OAM achievement to all unborn babies
