Helping others after facing challenge
Module Overview
After recovering from a brain aneurysm, Otago high country sheep and beef farmer and Farmstrong champion Jack Cocks (pictured) is helping others build resilience and get through tough times.
The father-of-two teamed up with Farmstrong in September to give a talk on resilience to a group of second-year Lincoln University students studying towards a Diploma in Farm Management.
“My talk consisted of two parts, firstly I shared my personal story and talked about my health challenges and then secondly how everybody faces adversity at some stage in life,” says Jack, who attended Lincoln University as a youngster.
“I also talked about the research I recently undertook on resilience as part of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and what you need to be well, happy and resilient.”
Research into resilience
In 2021, Jack undertook a research project called How Resilient Farmers Thrive in the Face of Adversity
His research found farmers employed three strategies to be resilient: purpose, connection and wellbeing. For each strategy, there were four enabling techniques that farmers employed to facilitate each strategy.
The research resulted in the creation of a model called the Resilience Triangle, which is a simple way to remember how to build resilience.
Jack (46) says he was really keen to help others following his near-death experience and his work on the Kellogg project.
“The Kellogg work really aligned with Farmstrong’s values, and I’ve really enjoyed working alongside Farmstrong to help others in any way I can.”
Defying the odds to survive
In 2013, Jack came face-to-face with death when he had a brain aneurysm.
He was home reading in bed when he got a splitting headache that caused him to vomit several times. As his wife Kate called 111, he had a seizure.
Unbeknown to Jack at the time, he was born with a malformation between some of the blood vessels in his brain, which caused the aneurysm.
“A helicopter flew me to Dunedin Hospital, and I went into cardiac arrest on the way. They did a CT scan on my brain, and it was full of blood. They operated, relieving the pressure in my brain and I somehow survived.”
The next four months were spent in hospital and Jack underwent eight more surgeries. He spent a further two years undergoing rehabilitation before another series of setbacks that resulted in seven more surgeries.
“I had another four months in hospital followed by more rehabilitation, and I had to learn to talk and walk again.”
Jack is now about 90% recovered and working full time. “I feel incredibly lucky to be alive,” he says.
Working with Farmstrong to help others
Jack also featured in Farmstrong’s recently published book Live Well, Farm Well: Farmers on Being Farmstrong and Farmstrong’s Live Well, Farm Well Podcast.
“I’m very lucky to be alive and I was given support, guidance and wisdom, and people seem to like my story, which I use to help other people and that feels great. I’m really happy how it’s all come together.”
Jack says everybody faces challenges at some stage in their lives.
“Farmers are particularly exposed to adversity. They are running businesses, living on site, dealing with the climate and international commodity process and markets and lots of other things, so it can be challenging.”
He says having some simple models and tools to be able to bounce back quickly from challenges is important.
“It’s guaranteed you will go through tough times. So you need simple tools to help, such as incorporating purpose, connection and wellbeing into your daily life.”
Jack says he’s looking forward to continuing to work with and support Farmstrong.
“Farmstrong is a great organisation and fulfilling an important place in New Zealand farming. It’s tremendous what they are doing and the principles they are advocating.”
