Geelong kids aiming to kick on in Thailand

Jane Emerick
James Janev was 15 when his mother asked him to leave their Geelong West home.
Homelessness, drugs and a life out of control followed until a bloodsoaked fight at his sister’s 16th birthday convinced James to change his life.
He kicked the drugs, spent time living with his grandfather at Portarlington and is back in Geelong studying year 10 at the age of 18.
Now he is looking forward to a trip to Thailand after joining XTGTOWN, or Extreme Team Geelong Town, a group dedicated to providing disadvantage youths with natural highs.
James and 11 other XTGTOWN kids have been snowboarding, hiking and rock climbing together.
He considered the group “family”.
“It makes me feel good about myself and I can see the others in the group coming out of their shells,” he said.
The group will raise money over the next month to pay for its Thailand trip.
The trip will be the first plane flight for many members and James’s first time outside Victoria.
“It would put something new inside of me, a new scene to life,” he said. “I’d just feel good about myself if we could do this.”
The group’s first fundraiser will be corporate indoor soccer on Tuesday evenings starting in September.
The group is encouraging Geelong businesses to enter teams of at least five.
Registration are available through Emy McPhee on 0437 461 614.
More information about the group and forthcoming fundraisers can be found at www.myspace.com/xtg_town.