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Send us Fan MailGuest - Mick & April FoxMick grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and lived independently from age 16 following his parents' early separation. His youth was marked by significant hardship, including losing one close friend to suicide at age 17 and another to murder at 18. He has two brothers, each separated by a 13-year age gap. Rugby league became a cornerstone of his life, and he continues to train at his old club to mentor and guide younger players. Though Mick faced two assault charges at age 23 while completing a carpentry apprenticeship, his life shifted when he met his partner at a football game and became a father to his daughter, April, at age 22. He embraced fatherhood and eventually built a family home on a farm. Inspired by his grandfather's WWII service and great-grandfather's WWI service, Mick joined the Australian Army at age 28.In 2000, he marched into 3 RAR and deployed to East Timor the following year. During this deployment, his family situation deteriorated. After a patrol, his sergeant informed him that April’s mother had called the battalion while heavily intoxicated to report a bizarre incident involving a naked Navy officer outside her home.This exposed a severe, ongoing issue with alcohol and multiple overdoses in her life, creating a complicated family environment that profoundly impacted Mick and his children.Alcohol had become a serious issue in April’s mother’s life, alongside a history of multiple overdoses — creating an increasingly difficult family situation for Mick and his children.After suffering a serious back injury in East Timor, Mick underwent 14 surgeries and was eventually discharged from the Army in 2004. Just four weeks later, he flew to Iraq to begin private contracting, before later working in Somalia.In 2006, while Mick was home on leave, April’s mother overdosed. April was only seven years old. A second overdose followed in 2008, prompting Mick to leave contracting behind and return home to support his family.But the situation continued to deteriorate. After a third overdose in 2009, Mick says the family became caught up in AVO proceedings and serious allegations, including a rape allegation that he maintains was false.Then, on 16 April 2010, Mick narrowly survived a shooting in which his friend was murdered in front of him.His story would take yet another extraordinary turn when his home was deliberately burnt down under circumstances Mick says raised serious questions about changes made to insurance policies shortly beforehand.Eventually, Witness Protection became involved.Mick and his daughter April open about these events, what really happened behind the scenes, and the lasting impact it had on their family.By this point, Mick had had enough. Feeling like his voice wasn’t being heard, he decided to send a message that couldn’t be ignored — he would climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge in protest.Mick began conducting reconnaissance and, on 12 May 2011, completed a Bridge Climb tour to familiarise himself with the bridge, its anchor points and access routes.The following morning, Friday 13 May 2011, Mick arrived beneath the bridge at around 4am, leaving a walkie-talkie and note in his car for police. Once on the bridge, he secured his banners and called Matty Johns’ radio show to deliver his message about parental alienation and the family court systemWhile speaking with police negotiators, Mick agreed to come down but asked not to be handcuffed in front of the cameras because he didn’t want his children seeing that on the news. The protest gained national attention, and Mick says he received close to 30,000 messages on Facebook afterwards.For April, the story was deeply personal. She remembers a happy childhood riding horses and being homeschooled, while loving both her parents unconditionally. But she also remembers the difficult times surrounding her mother’s drinking and witnessing her father being arrested.At around 12 years old, April was placed into witness protection under a new identity. She struggled to understand why her father had been taken away while she remained in an unstable environment, leaving her with a lasting distrust of authority.April eventually returned home in 2017. She says seeing her dad on the Sydney Harbour Bridge had always made her proud, and the memory helped carry her through some of her darkest days.In 2019, April climbed the Beenleigh Bridge, framed a photo from the moment and sent it to Mick for Father’s Day.Years later, the story came full circle when Mick, April and his son climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge together — this time, not in protest, but as a family. Support the show