

Everyone has ups and downs. we have a choice to either move forward or wonder why me.
On June 23rd 2012 my life changed forever. A normal incident in a normal game of Aussie rules football left me with C5-C6 quadriplegia. In an instant I went from a 23 year old who never sat still, to spending 8 months in hospital and looking at the prospect of spending my life in a wheelchair.
Before the incident I played any sport and would be up for any outdoor activity and even quit a commerce degree at the thought of sitting down to work all day.
You can see how the vertebra is squashing the spinal cord.I dislocated and broke vertebrae c5-c6. C7 is the one that usually pokes out the most, so it’s the two above that. My spinal cord was squashed and emergency surgery.
Post surgery. Screws, plate and tubes in me. 4 screws and a plate were inserted as well as bone from my hip to fuse that part of my neck.
The further up the neck you hurt the less movement you have. With my level of injury I have movement in my neck, shoulders, upper back muscles, biceps. I have half my wrist that work, and pec minor works but pec major doesn’t.
“Things happen for a reason”. Thats what my mother and Partner said to me when I hurt myself. It was a bitter pill to swallow at the time, but now 6 years later, I want to do everything I can and use my experiences to make peoples lives around me better.
It’s not a poor me story, everyone has their own challenges and I am no worse off. My presentation will give you an insight into my journey whilst passing on key messages around having a positive mindset, dealing with adversity and challenges, removing limitations, and being the best people we can be.