ABOUT THIS EPISODE
For nearly 20 years as a firefighter, Jemarl Paerata pushed the trauma to the back and drank to keep it there. But one day, after a cardiac arrest callout, he asked the boys in the truck, "Do you ever feel like there might be a little bit more?"
The reckoning saw Jemarl give up heavy drinking, leave the fire service and start Te Kaiārahi out of Piha. Since 2022, thousands of rangatahi have come through his programmes — surfing, bush walks, cold water, breathwork, and the stories of Tāne Mahuta and Māui.
In his own words, Jemarl would rather be a lighthouse than a tugboat — helping to show young people the way they could lead their lives.
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Kent Johns is a health coach, broadcaster and motivational speaker. Visit his website here.
