Springwood resident Adam Blum has been beaten down by life from an early age and in every which-way; a self-professed "Easy Target", reflected in the title of his new memoir.
Yet there was no bitterness in his voice or words as he spoke about his struggles, just a desire to help anyone else going through similar dark times.
Mr Blum, 31, is currently a Mitigation Crewleader with the Rural Fire Service, as well as Deputy Captain at Hazelbrook Brigade, host of the True Blue Conversations Podcast, and now an author.
But at 6 years old, he was just another kid struggling with an early ADHD diagnosis.
"It was really hard 25 years ago. Teachers didn't know how to deal with people like me," he told the Gazette.
"I was laughed at, I was teased a lot, I was bullied by my peers because I'd get things wrong or I didn't understand things, and that puts a target on your back.
"My self esteem was slowly eaten away, right through to high school. My Year 6 teacher told me I would amount to nothing, that was his parting gift."
Growing up as a redhead with freckles and weighing 110kg, Mr Blum said things were against him for most of his school journey, and the bullying never let up even after he left.
This led up to him attempting suicide at age 22, after a series of factors pushed him to the brink of his depression.
It was reaching out for help which sparked a turning point for Mr Blum over the next decade. With ever-growing resilience he began new projects and overcame new challenges, all in the name of bettering himself.
Easy Target sees Mr Blum chronicle his life through deft Aussie aplomb. From school to work to the current day, he recounts his climb from the darkest moments of his life with disarming candour and a smattering of good humour.
This includes his time at the RFS, which he said was a crucial environment for him to connect with people and find the support of friends.
"I look back to when I started 13 years ago and I wasn't a confident young man at all. I was very timid, very scared, and the RFS helped me through a time when I just wanted to belong to something," he said.
"If you are struggling, try and find a really positive team, I call it my 'tribe'. I've got a really great support network now. If you surround yourself with great people, great things happen."
With each chapter the light at the end of the tunnel for Mr Blum becomes brighter, and the goal that kept him motivated to write becomes clearer.
"I always came back to the 'why'... which was always that I wanted to help someone who was struggling, and who had gone through [something] similar, or is where I was," he said.
"That's why I wrote the book. It was simply to help one person, and if it does help one person then it's all been worth it."
Easy Target is out now and can be found online at Booktopia, as well as in-store at QBD Books and Dymocks. For more information, visit the publisher's website at: https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/books/easy-target/.
Support is available for those who may be distressed, contact Lifeline 13 11 14; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; headspace 1800 650 890; ReachOut.com
