FITTING WAGGA WAGGA WELCOME FOR BRAVE TIMOTHY WEEKS

As we finalise our preparations for Christmas celebrations and look towards taking a well-earned break after a long year, today we finally welcome back home a fine son of Wagga Wagga.

A truly inspirational man who has endured an experience few could imagine – Timothy Weeks typifies the staunch resilience for which Australians are renowned.

It was my absolute privilege to meet in Canberra just a few short weeks ago the man behind a remarkable story of survival.

Tim told Prime Minister Scott Morrison and myself about his upbringing – a life no different to many other Wagga Wagga residents.

Born in Sydney and growing up in Wagga Wagga, Tim went to St Michael’s Regional High School and then on to Trinity Senior High School – graduating in 1986.

But, through his role as a teacher, he found himself in a most extraordinary situation which he will never forget.

Tim was abducted at gunpoint outside an American university in Kabul by the Taliban while teaching in Afghanistan on 7 August 2016 – just weeks after starting in the role. He was held prisoner for three long, uncertain years along with American counterpart Kevin King.

Listening to Tim talk about his time in captivity I could not help but admire this man’s strength and resilience in the face of an adversity which very few would have survived let alone come out the other side with an air of gratitude combined with an indelible sense of humanity.

While Tim became completely isolated from the world he knew – a life put on pause – the wheels of time kept turning. During his captivity he lost his dear mother, babies were born, friends and family continued to do the little things we all do every day, no doubt holding out hope they would see Tim again but, as time wore on, even the most optimistic would have wavered.

Not Tim.

He spoke of witnessing horrific events and then not being able to sleep for days and nights on end. But Tim always held on to hope – he had faith – which the waking nightmare he was enduring in a 10-metre cell shared in heavy chains with Mr King would eventually come to an end. Why else would he have been put through the torture of a terribly violent abduction if not to live to tell the tale?

The hostages were fed a simple diet of goat meat, chick peas, rice or beans and were pushed to maintain a level of fitness through constant exercise. They saw things no person should ever have to witness.

A lesser man would have cracked, but Tim remained cool under unrelenting and what at times would have seemed insurmountable pressure.

As a parent, I can only imagine the anguish Tim’s Dad had to endure throughout these past few years – an overwhelming sense of helplessness and a complete lack of control of the situation would have been unbearably excruciating for any mother or father.

Over the course of his captivity, Tim says the guards taught him Pashto until they were told to stop because he was starting to understand too much of what was being said.

Tim said he intended to keep learning the language because he would like to return to Afghanistan – he still feels an obligation to go back and finish the job he started just weeks before being captured.

Tim’s story is not just one of survival against amazing odds – it is certainly one of hope and of inspiration.

At the end of a long and difficult year where our trademark resilience has been tested through insidious drought and bushfires, it was certainly heartening to hear of Tim's safe return back to his homeland. The efforts of those involved in navigating the lengthy and often precarious diplomatic discussions to arrange the release of Tim and Kevin should not be underestimated.

So, if you are fortunate to sit down to a traditional Christmas meal with family and friends tomorrow, take the time to express gratitude for the little things in life we all sometimes takes for granted. Tim’s tale certainly puts things into perspective.

It was very humbling to hear Tim tell of his experience and to see such humility in his eyes despite his terrible ordeal.

Even though it was not in the curriculum he had planned to teach, we can certainly all learn from this valuable lesson of hope after hopelessness.

A Mayoral Reception will be held this afternoon at 5pm at the Civic Centre which I am sure will be a fitting tribute to a man who held his nerve in extremely challenging circumstances.