The sky’s the limit for Cody

When Cody first turned up to StreetGym, he never expected he’d find a place where he would be accepted, make good friends and gain skills for life.

Basketball had always been Cody’s thing. Point Guard position was his happy place and he’d been playing with teams in competitions around the Central Coast for years. One day, his best friend told him about the Y’s program and soon, he was a regular.

“I was about 16 when my friend told me about StreetGym because he knew I liked the sport side of things,” Cody said. “As soon as got there, I thought that the people were really nice.

“StreetGym is a group of youth and mentors who go out and play sports and we just talk about stuff that’s going on,” he said.

“When a mate told me he was getting a job and wouldn’t be around as much, I realised I’d be the only 18-year-old there. It made me feel like I had a new responsibility to help the younger ones. It was really great. see myself as a mentor in some program working with youth in the future. feel like I’ve learned a lot in the last few years from my own mentors,” continued Cody.

Cody is headed in the right direction. He recounts how he felt in April when he was invited to be part of the crew to attend the Central Coast Council Youth Week Awards which StreetGym had been nominated for in the volunteer category.

“I didn’t think much of it in a way, but did feel like I wanted to go and that it would be a good experience for me,” he said. “We went and we ended up getting two awards. I felt proud of the group and to be part of it.”

Left: Cody giving back at StreetGym.