I first tried my hand at motorbike racing & soccer but found that my passion was in rugby league. After representing my state through schoolboys, I began playing with the Newcastle Knights. Although being a Maitland junior, I was forced to relocate to the Maitland Pickers ahead of them folding and transitioning to the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs. Here I began playing first grade between other stints at the Knights. 

I pursued an apprenticeship as a Carpenter whilst playing rugby league, but however mental health challenges eventually led me to transition away from my pursuit in professional football.

Completing my apprenticeship opened doors to the mining industry, and thanks to connections through the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs I was given the nod. Despite finding success underground, mental health struggles prompted me to seek a change, so I spent several fulfilling years abroad traveling the world before returning to Newcastle.

Though I continued to explore various sports like snowboarding, touch football, oztag, tennis, and indoor soccer, surfing took precedence. I returned to working underground before embarking on another trip, only to be called back due to the pandemic. Temporarily shifting to work in power stations, I eventually returned to Mandalong Colliery. Throughout these changes, I found stability in relationships and work, however, on May 17th, 2022, everything changed.

Whilst underground, unluckily, I was caught in the line of fire of a projectile that was dislodged from a service line. A wrong place at the wrong time moment and four days later I was awoken from a coma. The projectile had demolished my hard hat and ricocheted off my skull just at the right angle enough not to kill me, but to de-glove my scalp and fracture my C5/C6 vertebrae due to the whiplash. I was now a quadriplegic facing a long road to a distorted recovery.

Over the next 1-2 years, I struggled to come to terms with my new reality. I had lost my identity and faced the heartbreaking realisation that some friends and family weren't there for me in my time of need. This experience highlighted the importance of community and love.

That's why I founded this charity – to provide support to others facing similar challenges. Whether it's helping with modified housing, and transportation, allocating funds to research & trials, or simply facilitating a day out, our goal is to foster a supportive community for those in need. 

I have felt firsthand the struggles of readjusting physically and mentally to life post-injury. I have also seen the struggles that come with everything else not only with vehicle & house modifications but wheelchair issues, constant health problems, and everything else in between. Life becomes difficult! This highlights the importance of coming together and helping out others who may be going through this adversity.