Sporting Wheelies powered by Spinal Life Australia

We are raising money to make active lives possible for people with a disability. People Like Luke…

What should have been a fun day at the beach almost ended in tragedy for Queenslander Luke. The 21-year-old jumped headfirst off a jetty and hit a sandbank hidden beneath the waves, breaking his neck. Fortunately, he survived the initial accident, but his future had been changed forever.

When Luke first left hospital, six months after his accident, he needed to be strapped into his wheelchair. But after working with highly skilled specialist therapists, he can now sit in his wheelchair without the need for a chest or foot strap. He has also developed the core muscles needed to be able to stand and is even able to dress himself – things he was told he would never do again.

Recovery from a traumatic injury like Luke’s is a mental, as well as physical, battle. Joining the Sporting Wheelies community provided Luke with a much-needed social connection. He started to play in the Wheelchair Rugby team and met a group of people who understood what he was going through and demonstrated what was possible.

“After my accident I thought I was going to go home and be a nobody. That was until I met the Wheelchair Rugby guys. I saw what they were doing with their lives. This gave me a new outlook on what was possible for my life.”

I'm fundraising to support more inclusive and accessible transport

I am taking part again this year in the Sporting Wheelies/Spinal Life Australia CEO Challenge in August to raise awareness of the mobility challenges that people with disabilities face every day in navigating in and around our cities and transport systems. Mobility is critical for active participation in society, and I believe we need to ensure our transport systems and public realm are designed to be inclusive and accessible.

My participation last year helped me to understand what it is like navigating with a disability that impacts mobility, which is personally important to me as the step-parent of a child with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Last year helped me to experience a bit of what life is like for Harry navigating on footpaths, through crowds, crossing streets, accessing buildings and travelling on buses. I am looking forward to this challenge again and will be aiming to travel on public transport further around the city, as well as attend events and meetings in the city in the wheelchair.

I'd love your support for this challenge and great cause - if you can spare some money for a tax-deductible donation, it would be much appreciated: https://fundraise.sportingwheelies.org.au/s/82/133/e