Wade High’s Dylan Bruce and Marian Catholic College’s Tyson Beer will be battling heat, humidity and exhaustion as they walk the Kokoda Track.

The expenses for the trip will be paid for by the Griffith branch of the RSL, who wanted a new generation to understand the sacrifice of Diggers in Kokoda.

For 17-year-old Dylan Bruce, the arduous trek will be a welcome change from the pressures of the HSC.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and this is probably the best way to do it since I don’t have to pay for it,” Dylan said.

“I’ve been going for walks up in Scenic Hill with 10 kilograms in my backpack, so I’m getting prepared.”

The RSL originally intended to support just one Griffith student to walk the historic track, but after not being able to choose between Dylan and Tyson, it chose both.

Dylan and Tyson will be walking with students from across NSW as part of the RSL’s Kokoda Leadership Challenge.

The program is designed to pay tribute to the 625 Australian soldiers who were killed on the Kokoda Track from July 1942 to January 1943.

In Year 11 at Marian Catholic College, 16-year-old Tyson said he had been in training in anticipation of the walk. “I’ve had lots of relatives who have gone to war, and I’ve always been interested in war history,” he said.

The walk begins on August 14.