By Danielle Davey
If you’re battling mental health, you couldn’t ask for a better man in your corner than Glenn Cooper. Glenn’s been in the ring before, and now he’s helping others win their fights.
The former bouncer with the impressive moustache – not just for Movember but all year round – is the frontman for not-for-profit charity That’s The Thing About Fishing, supporting children, teenagers and adults struggling with life’s difficulties: disability, homelessness, chronic illness, unemployment, and crime.
The fishing clinics hosted by ‘Guru’ Glenn and his band of volunteers, all of whom have working with children checks, provide a relaxed environment for his special style of counselling; the quiet wait between catching a fish creates an opportunity to open the door to communication.
Glenn’s ability to connect with others lies in his authenticity. Of the young offenders he’s met, he said: “They’ll always get honesty from me. If they’ve done something stupid, I’ll tell them.” The revelation that he can identify with them, that he ‘gets’ them, encourages them to relax their guard and open up.
Born in Sydney to a drunken mother and father, Glenn’s childhood was filled with hurt. When his mother left his father, she married another alcoholic, and the pair subjected him to barbaric treatment, including regular beatings.
Their eagerness to be rid of him prompted them to send young Glenn to Sunday school, where a new world opened. He recalled attending a Billy Graham crusade where the US evangelist invited children to pledge their service to the Lord and receive a free colouring-in book. “I never used to get anything as a kid,” he said. “I wanted that book.”
Leaving home at 11, Glenn deviated away from religion – stealing to survive, serving time in jail and enduring sexual assault – until he moved to Frankston and joined a church in the mid-‘80s. He viewed the association as a means to improving his image, but there continued to be moments he got into trouble.
Falling in love gave him the incentive to clean up his act. He spent 17 years attending church but his pain remained. When his marriage ended, he realised his problems were too much for his wife to handle. “I still suffered a lot of rejection, a lot of anger, a lot of unforgiveness.” They maintain a friendship, however, and Glenn has since rediscovered religion and found forgiveness.
In 2006, he was attacked by three drunks while working security at Docklands. Snapping his ankle in the scuffle, he was wheelchair-bound for five years – and that’s when he got into fishing. From his post at Frankston Pier, he’d see hopeful mums with children struggling to a catch a fish. Compelled to assist, he taught the kids how to set up their rods and bait their hooks.
Now he’s using fishing as a way to begin the conversations that change lives and help others out of their own pain. To learn about Glenn’s fishing clinics or to offer support, visit his Facebook page That’s The Thing About Fishing.
