Overview

Beyond the Backpatch: The Ex-1%ers is not a story about glorifying outlaw motorcycle clubs. It's a raw, unfiltered look behind the patches, into the real lives of men and women who once lived by them and the courage it takes to walk away. Through first-hand accounts and powerful reflections, these pages reveal what really happens inside club life: the loyalty, the hierarchy, the brotherhood and sisterhood, and the darkness that too often hides beneath the surface. From long nights and loyalty tests to trauma, addiction, and redemption, these stories expose both the thrill and the cost of living as a 1%er. Compiled and led by Troy Koerntjes, a former club member turned qualified counsellor and founder of a mental health and disability service, Beyond the Backpatch gives readers a perspective rarely told from the inside, one grounded in truth, empathy, and recovery. Today, many of the contributors are community leaders in mental health, addiction recovery, and men's and women's wellbeing. Others are still rebuilding, learning to live life beyond the rules, rituals, and reputations of club culture. This book doesn't preach and it doesn't sensationalise. It sheds light on the human side, the trauma that leads people to the patch, the loyalty that keeps them there, and the healing it takes to leave it behind. It's about choices, identity, and survival. It's about the heavy price of belonging and the resilience it takes to start over. Beyond the Backpatch is for anyone curious about the real world behind motorcycle clubs, anyone who's lived through trauma or addiction, and anyone searching for proof that change is possible - no matter how deep you've been in.

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9781923650022

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Troy Koerntjes is a former 1%er who turned his life around to help others find their own path to healing and purpose. After walking away from the outlaw motorcycle world, Troy founded and now runs the Mental Health Militia Foundation in Geelong - a community organisation dedicated to supporting men's mental health, breaking stigma, and building brotherhood through connection, honesty, and action.Through his work and his writing, Troy sheds light on the realities of life behind the patch and the power of change that comes from owning your story. His debut book, Beyond The Back Patch: The Ex 1%ers, captures the raw truth of redemption, resilience, and what it really means to start again.

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