A Journey from Addiction to Redemption
Michael Cordner’s journey in boxing was driven by a desire to be the best—whether that meant winning an Olympic gold medal or securing a world title. However, the most challenging battle he faced was not in the ring, but against mental health struggles and opioid addiction.
Growing up in the coastal town of Torquay in Victoria, Mr Cordner discovered two passions in his early teens: boxing and benzodiazepines. The latter was prescribed to him after a mental health referral at the age of 14. In the ring, he quickly rose through the ranks, earning an amateur state title before transitioning to professional boxing. Known as “The Slenderman” for his long limbs, he was on a path to success.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his life, stripping away the thrill of the sport. This loss led him to rely more heavily on prescription medication, which eventually spiraled into a deeper struggle with addiction.
“I was heavily taking benzodiazepines and I didn’t realize it was a problem for me,” he recalls. “I was still fighting, I finished school and did all the things I needed to do. It was only when I stopped taking them that I realized I had a real problem.”
His prescription for benzodiazepines ended when he turned 18, and the resulting withdrawals forced him to seek out the medication illegally. With boxing no longer a part of his life, he turned to opioids to cope.
“When the pandemic hit, I lost my other vice,” he said. “I no longer had boxing, I had nothing to keep me focused. That’s when I latched myself onto opioids to keep me ticking over. When I was on them I was very relaxed, if you have enough of them you’ll feel zero anxiety at all, which makes you do stupid things.”
This period saw him become known to the police and further entrench himself in drug abuse. “Being full of Xanax at the time I thought I could get away with anything,” he said.
In 2020, his home was raided by police following a bizarre incident where he impersonated an officer to avoid a fine for trespassing. During the raid, drugs, an imitation handgun, and a collection of knives and swords were seized.
“I was in bed and armed police officers kicked down the door, charged into my room and searched the place,” he recalled. “I had drugs in the house and it ended up being a big ordeal. I was a coach, an upcoming boxer and someone younger people looked up to. Now I’m this guy, wacked out of my head and in trouble with police – I realized something had to change.”
It was during his two stints in rehabilitation that Mr Cordner developed the philosophy that would help him turn his life around and assist others facing similar challenges.
“The only way I got through that was thinking of my whole life as a fight,” he said. “I was thinking about what I would do if I was struggling in a fight? I would slow down, I’d start jabbing and I would listen to my corner again.”
The jab is the lead punch in boxing, used as a foundation for all other punches and to gauge distance and timing. This concept became the cornerstone of his recovery and future work.
Turning Pain into Purpose
In 2022, after receiving help and moving to Sydney, Mr Cordner founded Land the Jab, a not-for-profit organization aimed at teaching young people aged 15 to 25 how to discuss mental health through the lens of boxing.
Mr Cordner, now 25, says the program has helped over 100 young people take positive steps toward better mental health. He is also pursuing a certificate in Alcohol and Other Drugs to support his work.
The program is free and includes sessions that teach boxing techniques and relate them to tools for improving mental health. Programs are offered in both affluent areas like Bondi and in schools in western Sydney, such as Airds High School.
“If you feel in danger in your life that’s when you need to go back to your jab, whether that’s eating better, sleeping more or just talking to people,” Mr Cordner explained. “Making those small steps toward fixing your problem and improving your mental health.”
He highlighted the contrast between the affluent suburbs of Bondi and the more challenging areas of western Sydney, noting that while the environments differ, the issues faced by young people are often similar.
Organizations such as Headspace and Prince of Wales Hospital have referred youths who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing psychosis to Land the Jab for support.
Chrysten Kodomichalos, an Exercise Physiologist with the Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, emphasized the value of boxing in aiding individuals recovering from psychosis.
“The benefits of exercise for mental health are well researched and include stimulating key neurotransmitters essential for brain health,” she said. “Individuals at risk of psychosis may have decline in cognitive function including working memory, decision making, attention and situational awareness. Exercise, such as boxing, targets these skills and is valuable for individuals who have had an episode of psychosis.”
Mr Cordner shared the story of one participant from the Bondi program who had a life-changing psychotic episode and found hope through boxing.
“One of the kids in the Bondi program who had a psychotic episode a year ago, it completely changed his life,” he said. “It helps to get people out of their head and more focused on their body, which improves symptoms a lot. The sense of community from the group sessions also helps people at risk of psychosis.”
“He has been coming to Land the Jab and in the beginning he was very reserved and had a hard time understanding things, but he has built himself back up. The other day he told me he had got a job and it was a big deal for him and his family, it showed there was hope he could get a little bit better. I was very proud of him for that.”
