ANZAC Day always makes us stop and pause, as it does for many of us. It’s a time of remembrance, reflection, and deep respect.

At Open Door, we have the great privilege of working alongside our Defence Forces, particularly Air Force. Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to support hundreds of Defence members in achieving their coaching qualifications. Through this, we’ve come to know not only the incredible work they do, but the people behind the uniforms — their integrity, their commitment and discipline, and their willingness to serve. We also appreciate the dry sense of humour, and we have a lot of laughs on our courses, about ‘old mate’ doing this or that.

Working with Air Force has taken us to some great places. Natalie often jokes about wanting to “tick off all the Bases,” or wondering, “Will I see a Super Hornet at this time in Amberley?” or “Will the Roulettes be flying over East Sale?” These are light-hearted moments, but underneath the humour is a constant sense of gratitude and admiration. Because we never take for granted what our Defence people do — not just in times of war or conflict, but in emergency response, community support, and humanitarian efforts. It’s not all about fast jets.

Natalie says: Every time I step onto Base or engage with a Defence participant, I feel deeply thankful — thankful for their service, and that, through coaching, we can offer tools that help them in their roles and leadership. And I am super appreciative of the Open Door team who make it all happen behind the scenes, to set up our learning environment for success.

Today, I ask myself the coaching question: What am I grateful for?

And while I don’t consider myself particularly religious, I do quietly say a prayer – and ask the angels or god, or the universe – to look after our Defence people, and the ones they love, and those who love them in return.

It’s not unusual to get messages from Defence participants requesting that their coaching qualification be put “on hold” because they’ve been deployed or posted. When that happens, we wonder where they’re going, what they’ll be doing, and we hope they’re safe. ANZAC Day brings these thoughts even more sharply into focus, and we say simply: thank you for your service.

Lest we forget.