Dave Barrie was 22 when he was forcibly drugged, and dragged into an alley way late one night after a music festival.
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The subsequent sexual assault left him writhing on the ground waiting for an ambulance, ultimately sending him down the path of prescription drugs to navigate the challenges of day to day life.
It could have broken him. But Barrie found a way back.
"I had the choice to keep abusing anti-depressants and sleeping pills and all that, and being in constant panic attacks all day," Barrie said.
"I decided I'm not going to do that any more, I dumped all the pills in the bin and then I walked away and I said I'm becoming Australian champion. I didn't look back I was like tunnel vision."
His chosen sport was bodybuilding. He spent more than half a decade pursuing a rigorously disciplined training regime, and finished third in the 2017 Musclemania Australia Men's sports model category, before going on to represent Australia internationally.
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"After the sexual assault thing, I was just like I'm going after this otherwise you never get out of that cycle," Barrie said.
"Those things triggered me to then go on with it. Then I'm living into my destiny not being a prisoner of past circumstances.
"I'm just at peace with myself, I'm not angry at anything or anyone in the community, it's the opposite of what's going on in the world.
"Most people think they experience reality but they're just experiencing their thoughts. They're entangled in their story, that's just psychology stuff, you've got to deconstruct that and know how you ended up where you did and then you can envision your beautiful future.
"You don't have to have life crises, you don't have to have disease, you don't have to live in prolonged sadness."
After achieving the heights of his bodybuilding career, Barrie's goalposts shifted again, to building "the most profound school and jail initiatives in Australia".
It started by taking over is old school, Yass High, to run day-long sessions for the next generation of youth.
That has since expanded to schools across Canberra, and he has also taken his message into the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
On April 30, Barrie will embark on one of his largest challenges to date when he runs a day-long community and country event for personal growth at the National Film and Sound Archive, a program titled Everybody Wins aimed at adults, families, and kids aged 14 and above.
He'll present his approach to holistic health, while delving into mental and emotional well being, financial education and leadership.
Joining him at the seminar will be Olympic gold medal winner Kim Brennan, four-time Australian champion fitness model Ben Abstacker and childhood cancer survivor Michael Crossland, among other special guests.
"I've deliberately designed it to show people that you can get beyond these external crises that have been going on in the world," Barrie said.
"It doesn't mean you have to have crisis in your life, you don't have to have disease. You can overcome childhood trauma, or inter-generational trauma, all that kind of stuff.
"People think that other people are born with a bit extra, but no one's born with a bit extra. Everyone's got access to what you want to make of your life.
"If you have healing and reconciliation and peace with yourself, that's enough, you don't have to prove anything else to anyone.
Everybody Wins will be held at the National Film & Sound Archive on April 30. Head to www.davebarrie.com.au/event for more information
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
