The Firewalk to Financial Freedom: How a Tony Robbins Challenge Sparked a Multi-

I’ll never forget the moment I helped a man in a wheelchair complete the Tony Robbins firewalk challenge. That night didn’t just light a fire under my feet; it lit one in my life.

I realised then how broken our system is when it comes to accessible housing. Right now, more than 661,000 Australians are on the NDIS, but only 38,000 have SDA funding, and less than 15,000 are actually living in SDA-approved homes. That means tens of thousands of people with high support needs can’t find a place to live, even when the funding is there.

On the flip side, about 25% of new SDA homes are sitting empty, often built in the wrong places, with the wrong features, by people chasing returns instead of meeting real needs. That firewalk pushed me to stop sitting on the sidelines and start building solutions

The Firewalk Moment 

The Firewalk Challenge is a personal development or empowerment activity where guests who attend a Tony Robbins event walk barefoot across a bed of hot embers or burning wood. The firewalk challenge was meant to push limits, but for me, it became something much deeper. I wasn’t just walking across hot coals for myself. I ended up helping a man in a wheelchair cross too, guiding him, steadying him, witnessing his courage. That moment hit me hard. I saw with brutal clarity how many barriers people with disabilities face every single day. It wasn’t just about fire and feet. It was about dignity, access, and freedom. I walked off those coals knowing I had to do something real to change things. I wanted to make a difference to people who are struggling, and the skills I have relate to housing and property investment. I had no idea where this one single event was about to lead my life.

Turning Purpose into a Property Mission 
I watched the housing crisis unfold. It was a crisis for everyone, but for the most vulnerable Australians, it was catastrophic. It still is. Australians with disabilities don’t stand a chance, as rent goes up, vacancy rates hit all-time lows, and competition for housing becomes impossibly difficult. As an expert with the ability to create an enterprise that would shift this, how could I just stand by?

I shifted from traditional investing to purpose-driven development, focusing on creating some sort of equity in the housing crisis for people with disabilities. My philosophy is simple: put participants first, integrate homes into communities, and offer ethical returns that benefit everyone involved. Making this dream a reality meant teaming up with a number of organisations, like SDA providers, government organisations, and of course, the NDIS.

The Problem with SDA in Australia 

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) was designed to fund purpose-built homes for people with extreme functional impairments or high support needs, but right now, 42% of SDA properties are vacant. In some regions, like New South Wales, we’ve seen an oversupply of over 3,000 rooms, while other areas are desperate for any fit-for-purpose housing at all. This imbalance has opened the door for spruikers: opportunistic developers selling glossy, overpriced ‘investment packages,’ promising 15% returns and delivering non-compliant, unsuitable homes. The result? Participants are still without real options. That’s the problem I set out to solve with Ethical Property Investments: housing that’s ethical, sustainable, and built around real human need.

Real Impact: People Before Properties

David comes from a big, close-knit family, and he is blind. As a young man, finding the right home wasn’t easy, it isn’t easy for any young people these days, but for him, it’s extra difficult because he has different needs beyond bricks and mortar. He also needed to stay connected to his people. He needed a home in the same geographical area as his family’s home. Ethical Property Investments helped secure him a home close to his parents and surrounded him with a reliable support network. That solid foundation helped him to settle in and live life on his own terms.
David’s story is just one of many. When people can move into a home that’s been designed with their needs in mind (regardless of dis/ability), it gives them the power to be self-determining. By extension, it lifts the whole family and community.
More than 30,000 Australians with disabilities are stuck in unsuitable housing; in hospitals or aged care homes, not because they need to be there, there’s nowhere else for them to go. The system is full of red tape, profit-driven shortcuts, and developers who treat Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) like another investment category, with little thought for the human beings behind the numbers.

Funding is still a challenge. We have real coordination deserts and they leave participants stranded. To make matters more complicated, there are way too many investors who still chase quick profits without understanding the impact. But with the right support, ethical capital can drive real change.

“You can build beautiful, thoughtful homes for people with disabilities and deliver strong, stable returns for ethical investors. You don’t have to choose between values and viability or doing good and making money; they strengthen each other,” says Goro.

“After appearing on Four Corners recently calling out the SDA providers chasing yield, and cutting corners, building fast, cheap, and to the bare minimum just to meet compliance, we’re proud to have doubled our build volume in the past year. From 25 to over 50 homes annually, without compromising on quality, ethics, or liveability. That level of scale is rare in this space,” he adds.

Every home we build is co-designed with the people who will live there, wider doorways (our industry innovation), smart home tech, proper airflow, natural light are non-negotiables. It takes more time, care, and investment, but it’s how we operate. We’ve housed over 200 people, with 95% occupancy rate within the first three months, above the industry average of 40%.