Jesse Kemp was at breaking point.
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The Gungahlin Jets player was halfway through the Kokoda Track when his mind and body began willing him to stop.
"You start to really struggle and it becomes a matter of trying to break through that barrier of wanting to just shut down," Kemp said.
But Kemp was not giving in.
As he soldiered on along the trail, he noticed many trekkers breaking down and giving up. Kemp put aside his own struggles and did what he could to pick them up and guide them along to the finish.
"I am a happy person and I enjoyed cheering everyone up when they were down or struggling along the journey," Kemp said.
That attitude has become a trademark for the Jets this year.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
That is why they refuse to give in despite boasting a solitary win this season. That is why they are determined to cause an upset against AFL Canberra's ladder-leading Ainslie Tricolours at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval on Sunday.
Sixteen club members from the Jets swapped their football boots for hiking boots, and took their pre-season from grass to ruthless terrains on the 96-kilometre track.
The track runs over a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96-kilometres overland and 60-kilometres in a straight line through Papua New Guinea's Owen Stanley Range.
The Jets were the first to walk the Kokoda track this year, a trail that is designed to honour those who served in the terrain whilst challenging yourself across mountains, rivers and through the jungle.
Jets first grade player Alison Woodall said the experience was both challenging and rewarding, and she had her doubts before embarking on the trip.
"I had my doubts as to whether I would be able to complete the trek, I had no idea what I was going into and what I was going to face," Woodall said.
Woodall soon discovered that team work was not just for the field.
"Everyone really looked out for one another. The people ahead of you would stop and encourage you to keep going and would help you along the way," Woodall said.
But there was no greater reward then reaching the end.
"Once you get up there and turn around, you can't really believe what you have just done and it starts to really sink in what you have achieved," Kemp said.
AFL CANBERRA ROUND 13
Saturday: Belconnen Magpies v Tuggeranong Hawks at Kippax Oval, 1.15pm.
Sunday: Gungahlin Jets v Ainslie Tricolours at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, 1.15pm.
