Basically, I was a care free and easy going person who lived week to week with a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. I’ve always enjoyed sports, weather it’s a team or individual sport, with a bat, ball or a board.
On the morning my life changed forever I was competing in a water ski race on the Hawkesbury River, going around 165kph when everything came unstuck. I was flung through the air and hit the water, which at that speed was like hitting concrete.
My team mates found me floating face down in the water and managed to keep me alive with their own breath. In an amazing twist of fate a helicopter was already on its way to pick up a fellow competitor when they got a call of a more critical case – ME!
They were on the scene within ten minutes and I was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in an extremely critical state.
When all the doctors gave up hope of survival and gave me no chance to live, they called my friends and family in to say their last farewells, a priest was called and I was given my last rights. Clearly the universe had other ideas and after a couple of weeks of intensive care and six months of spinal rehabilitation I was finally discharged and returned home. That’s when the real challenges began.
Over the past twelve years I’ve had to learn to deal not only with my physical challenges but also my mental state. I’ve grown to love my life, learned to enjoy every moment and have managed to find and marry my one true love.
I’m now in a place where I feel I can truly help others, not only with physical disabilities, but people who find the mental game of life challenging.
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