FORMER first responder Paul Turner will paddle more than 2350kms along the Murray River to raise funds and awareness for emergency service workers living with post-traumatic stress.
Turner is a Mt Eliza resident who spent 26 years with Victoria Police. Five years ago, he was forced to retire due to post-traumatic stress. His development of the condition was a result of a fatal collision he witnessed during his 11 years of highway patrol.
“My youngest child at the time was the same age as the actual child that was killed in the fatal collision, so that triggered my PTSD,” said Turner.
Turner took a couple of months off work and thought he was fine to return, but seven years later when he was assigned to oversee a project, the stress and burnout caused his PTSD to reaggravate.
“I went off work in November 2018, and after two years being off work, if you haven’t made any improvement, the Police Medical Officer basically signs you off and you can’t return to duties,” said Turner.
“And subsequently, I’ve had a number of medical assessments, and I’ve been deemed unable to return to any form of paid employment.”
Turner was only 49 years old when he was forced to retire and struggled with suicidal ideation, severe depression, and anxiety.
“I was struggling quite a bit and there wasn’t much support,” said Turner.
“Well, I wasn’t aware of if there was much support back then until I came across TJF.”
TJF stands for The Journey Forward, a charity established by first responders to help emergency service personnel affected by the condition. The name is a play on words for a term Turner said he was taught on his first day in the academy back in 1995.
“It stands for ‘The job’s f***ed’,” said Turner.
“There are a lot of occasions where police officers are dealing with all sorts of situations, a lot of them internal politics, and they just go TJF.”
“The guys have now turned that acronym round to ‘the journey forward’ to symbolise the moving forward after PTSD diagnosis and/or going off work as a first responder.”
Turner has been involved with TJF for a few years and attends fortnightly catchups.
“It’s a good way of being around people who understand where you’re coming from, and there’s no judgement,” said Turner.
Now, five years after retirement, Turner has decided to kayak from Bringenbrong in New South Wales to Goolwa in South Australia to raise awareness and funds to support TJF.
“One of the things with PTSD, and most mental health, is the fact that there’s quite a degree of stigma that becomes attached to it,” said Turner.
“And that stigma is a result of people not fully grasping and understanding PTSD, depression, and how it makes you feel on a day to day basis.”
Research from Black Dog Institute has found one in seven first responders have probable PTSD.
“I think a lot of people find there’s that solitude and they just feel like when they’re struggling with mental health, they’re on their own,” said Turner.
“Or some people feel that they’ve got nowhere to turn to but that couldn’t be further from the truth. These people, if they’re struggling, they can just turn around and ask for some help.”
Turner is due to head off at the beginning of November to make it to Yarrawonga in time for the Massive Murray Paddle, which is a charity race that takes place over five days. Turner will complete the race and then continue on towards Goolwa.
“It’s going to be six to eight weeks on the Murray River and the only person there that I’ve got to rely on is me,” said Turner.
“It’s going to be mentally tough, it’s going to be a physical challenge as well, and it’s also going to push mental boundaries for me just with the solitude as well.”
Any money raised will go towards TJF and their mission to break the stigma around PTSD and mental health and provide a safe space for current and former emergency service members.
“The most important thing to take away is that if you are struggling from mental health issues…you’re not alone,” said Turner.
“Even if people are not in a position to donate money, another way they can help is just to share the fundraising page far and wide because at least you’re getting the message out there.”
You can help support Turner and his journey at mycause.com.au/page/396717/pts-paddle-for-pts
First published in the Mornington News – 9 June 2026
