The hero’s journey

Mr Lawson is not only the head instructor at Endurance Taekwondo, but also a skilled competitor. He won gold the Pan Pacific Master Games in 2018 as well as bronze at the Oceania Presidents Cup and the Australian Open earlier this year.

My Hero uses a fun rhyming structure to tell the story of a child’s search for a role model.

Mr Lawson says the people he looked up to when he was younger had a great effect on his life.

“When I was young, Bruce Lee was my idol. I read everything to do with him and followed in his footsteps as much as I could. I tried to train a lot and have focus and dedication to what I was trying to achieve.

“Then when I started martial arts, my first instructor was definitely a massive role model for me as well. I felt what I gained when I was younger through that role model has helped me through my life to have that dedication, to have that drive, that focus and that

passion.”

Mr Lawson said he wants to ensure children also have role models to learn from.

“I have a lot of parents come to me at Endurance Taekwondo and go ‘they just need another role model, they need a positive figure in their life’; I get that all the time.”

My Hero shows that there are many in the community that can fill that position. It helps children understand that surf life savers, police officer, fire fighters and teachers can all be heroes in their own way.

Mr Lawson said the book looked to encourage its readers to find those they can learn from.

“It’s good for kids to have a person to look up to and go ‘that person has some great attributes that maybe I can take on board’.”

“It’s all about being the best person you can be and maybe being that positive influence for someone else down the track. So it kind of takes a whole circle through it.”

Pre-order sales of the book, which is likely to go to print in March or April next year, are now open. Head to alistairlawsonbooks.com.au.