update

Happy New Year!!!

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What were your highlights in 2015?

What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months? Apart from the Puffin Magic Circus Ball on 19 March!!!

As individuals and as a society we are in constant flux between reflecting and learning from the past and planning and prophecising about the future.

For me, facing my fear of sit skiing, stand-up fly fishing, joining the management committee of an incredible new resort for spinal cord injured individuals, called Sargood, and the growing success and impact of Empower Golf were standouts of the last 6 months. Understanding that one must be conscious of “stopping something old” to “start something new”, will be key to a successful year ahead.

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A while between drinks

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Ok so it has been a while between drinks…

The best part of a year ago, a dynamic filmmaker Jefferson Grainger approached me to ask whether he could tell my story as part of a film festival called Focus On Ability. Following my humble acceptance, we went to work over 2 incredible days filming and many more for the production and editing team. The result, taking out the most online votes i.e. winning the people’s favourite competition in the open category.

With a rookie talent a.k.a. Moi involved, it shows just how much magic was weaved behind the camera. In case you didn’t catch it during our blanket mass marketing promotional effort, here it is – link

The ultimate high and low of the period played out representing Australia in my first World Disabled Golf Championships alongside a team of 4 amputees. The excitement of them opening up a wheelchair category (a month prior to the tournament starting) and the thrill of an enterprising first nine holes to begin my campaign were slowly, painfully and methodically unwound over the course of the next 2 days. (more…)

Sharks, Expos and Sponsorship

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Who in their right mind would seriously signup for a 1.6km ocean swim starting at Shark Bay?

Apart from the above, a local quadriplegic (a.k.a. me) and his ever-supportive, bikini-clad fiancee (the only one out of 300+ competitors) entered to attempt their first-ever ocean swim – The Bay to Breakers. Website here.

I am immensely proud and happy to announce that after 1 hour, 24 minutes and approximately 47 seconds, Sarah and I were finally back on solid ground. Our combined body heat working overtime to return her lips back to normality and counteract the overwhelming exhaustion my body was engulfed by. The memory of the final 200 m and struggling around the outgoing rip with my “spaghetti arms” almost failing to emerge from the water following every stroke, will be with me for years to come. As will the standing ovation I was met with by the particularly patient crowd in situ on the beach. (more…)

Superstition, Swimming and Soul Patch

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We are all constantly challenged and confronted by life’s inevitable surprises and inherent quirks. But as one who has a historic penchant for fate and its consistent role in every day, even I was at a loss as to how, in my debut appearance in Golf Australia Magazine (Feb edition), there was also a 6-page spread on golfing in Iceland of all places, including coverage of Westerman Islands (where the original Peter the Puffin was caught) and puffins for heaven’s sake! One can only marvel at its originality. (more…)

2014 is going to be BIG!!!!

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A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody! I hope you managed some quality downtime over the break and are ready for a bigger and better 2014!

It has been a mad couple of months with Sarah’s family in town over the festive period, Australia going golfing crazy at the end of the year and good progress for Empower Golf Australia. The only downsides were a long bout of cellulitis and limited time for quality exercise and rehabilitation. (more…)

Changing the face of Disabled Golf in Australia

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I am now officially a Hubber! Check out this link. The Hub is basically a co-working space which encourages networking, collaboration and learning for individuals and small businesses from all industries. I am spending 2 to 3 days a week there (amongst exercise and walking practice) working on various initiatives, some of which I will touch on later. It provides a hyper interactive environment with an incredible cross-section of professionals from social entrepreneurs to graphic designers to management consultants. For anybody debating a fresh change to working from home, I highly recommend it. (more…)

A UK Trip for the Ages

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If you are wondering about the radio silence, I have just returned from a fantastic month away in the UK with Sarah.

I don’t know quite where to start with so many highlights. For once, we managed the perfect combination of downtime in the countryside and city highlife, quality time with old friends/family and larger nights out, experimenting with new activities and venues and enjoying our old favourites, mediating craziness with culture and even spent some memorable one-on-one time.

Firstly, catching up with Sarah’s family (and their many animals) and exporting some of Australia’s finest barbecuing skills… Mr Macdonald even borrowed my ‘off-road’ scooter as a joy-riding-alcohol-trolley, normally reserved for grannies and daytrippers. (more…)

Golf, Driving, Pussy Cats and Boom Boom Broome

Ok so I’m not sure whether it is a 100% fair or accurate claim, but, at the age of 34, I have finally achieved one of my lifelong goals. To be a professional golfer.

The fact that I’m still yet to play a full 18 holes, can’t quite hold the club properly or even have an official handicap is by the by. In reality, the greatest golf brand on the planet (in my humble opinion), Titleist has bought me a couple of amazing new golf clubs and given me a brand-new Titleist hat to welcome me to Team Titleist.
Maybe the title, ‘partially sponsored’ golfer, is more accurate. Now I just need to work out how to pay them back. Either way, I’m truly thankful and blessed that they have chosen to support me thus far. (more…)

Work, Rest and Play

So the City to Surf (which claims to be The Biggest Fun Run in the World) maintained its impeccable record of producing a textbook summer day in the middle of winter and almost 85,000 people participated. Participation being the keyword as a couple friends of mine and I took a slightly more unconventional path, avoiding any inclines and sharing the “spirit” of the day with many of the innocent bystanders.

It is consistently one of the great days in Sydney. However, I was seriously put to shame by the wheelchair rugby team who flew past whilst I was being decadently pushed along with a cold beverage in hand.

With comfort and confidence growing as I drive around locally, I took the opportunity to take Sarah down to the south coast to the picturesque Bawley Point where some family friends had generously offered us their house for the weekend. I know it is a given for most, but being able to finally pick my fiance up from work on a Friday and drive her away for the weekend was a real treat. We even managed to take our little friend with us. (more…)

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