00:00:00
[Music]
00:00:27
Casey Brady welcome to my podcast hello
00:00:30
thank you hey thanks so much for coming
00:00:31
here I really appreciate it um I just
00:00:34
metet you outside and um I I give all
00:00:37
the guests of the podcast the same
00:00:39
instructions to come to the front of the
00:00:40
apartment and I'm such an idot that's
00:00:42
not something I even thought about but
00:00:43
there's like eight or nine steps coming
00:00:44
into the into the building um so we went
00:00:47
up to the side gate and came in that way
00:00:50
um you since you've been um in a whe
00:00:53
chair you you must find this all the
00:00:54
time things that you just didn't even
00:00:56
think about in terms of accessibility I
00:00:58
just s you were stitching me out
00:01:01
um yes yeah but you just I don't know
00:01:04
it's I think I expect it and I just know
00:01:06
that's it is what it is yeah it must be
00:01:09
incredibly frustrating though yes yeah
00:01:12
yeah yep but now I'm like I don't care
00:01:15
if I'm late I'm late or whatever because
00:01:17
I'm like I try yeah so um tell us about
00:01:21
uh Casey pre-accident by the way the
00:01:23
accident we're talking about it was a
00:01:24
Motocross accident in um 2017 June 2017
00:01:28
tell us about Casey before then um so
00:01:31
before then I studied to be a teacher I
00:01:33
was working at a daycare at the time I
00:01:37
think me and my husband or my partner at
00:01:39
the time were just doing some spec
00:01:41
houses and taking along with life like
00:01:44
trying to achieve goals and make some
00:01:46
money um I think at the time I was a
00:01:48
little bit bored as well with like
00:01:50
career-wise and what to do and then yeah
00:01:53
I used to race Moss every weekend and
00:01:55
then yeah I heard my accident yeah so
00:01:57
you're you're one of four girls yes f
00:01:59
girls yes and um all all Motocross
00:02:03
Riders yes so um we went to we lived on
00:02:06
in the on a farm um and I think yeah a
00:02:08
few boys from our school did Motocross
00:02:10
and they came and did like a little show
00:02:12
day so we wanted dad to buy us
00:02:14
motorbikes so we got rid of the horses
00:02:16
and we all got into Motocross we raced
00:02:19
yeah as like kids growing up every
00:02:20
weekend kept us out of some
00:02:24
trouble yeah so you just yeah cuz I
00:02:27
scrolled um all the way back through
00:02:28
your Instagram and it just paints a
00:02:30
picture of just a very normal active
00:02:34
young New Zealand female really like
00:02:36
you're over in Paris with your friends
00:02:37
at the L yeah um you're your Motocross
00:02:40
it looks like most weekends yeah so yeah
00:02:42
we did some traveling I think I've
00:02:44
traveled like a massive chunk of Europe
00:02:47
um lived in a
00:02:48
van I think when I was 21 so me and my
00:02:50
partner went over um brought a van and
00:02:53
did like Europe England Scotland and all
00:02:55
of that and then yeah we met friends
00:02:59
over there my husband raced IB I like
00:03:01
surf life saving so he
00:03:04
did Ure rescue boat no what are they oh
00:03:07
inflatable res inflatable rescue yeah
00:03:09
yeah so we went and did some of that
00:03:11
some of the like World Champs over there
00:03:13
so like did like heaps of stuff I guess
00:03:15
before my accident um which is like for
00:03:18
me like amazing that I have done that
00:03:21
but yeah so this is gting our husband so
00:03:23
you guys have been together for a
00:03:24
zillion years yeah I think we metet when
00:03:26
we're oh we got together when we're 18
00:03:28
so and I'm 31 now so
00:03:30
wow sh it's a lot for you to both both
00:03:32
go through oh yeah yeah it's a lot of a
00:03:35
lot of adjustments in particular for you
00:03:37
but also for him as well yeah like I
00:03:39
don't know I guess you never like see
00:03:40
the impact that it has on your family
00:03:42
and like the ones closest to you you
00:03:43
kind of like living this kind of in the
00:03:46
moment and yeah impacts everyone so um
00:03:52
take us back to June 25
00:03:54
2017 so I'm really by the way is is this
00:03:59
is this hard to do or is it annoying
00:04:01
have you just revisit visited it a
00:04:02
million I it's still like traumatizing
00:04:05
yeah is it like it's fine but yeah I
00:04:08
don't know like I still am like so mad
00:04:10
but it is mad
00:04:12
at
00:04:14
life mad met it met it yourself or the
00:04:17
situation did you make a mistake um well
00:04:19
I knew so I had the night before it was
00:04:21
my husband's birthday and we're going to
00:04:23
go to Orland I was like I'm not coming
00:04:25
I'm not that girl like I'm up for a
00:04:26
whatever I'll do anything kind of thing
00:04:28
and we're going to go to and I was like
00:04:30
I'm not hopping in the C of you I'm not
00:04:31
coming and they're like stop being such
00:04:33
a dick like I was like I'm not coming
00:04:36
I've got a bad feel I think I cried I
00:04:37
was like I'm not coming so then he
00:04:40
didn't go to or he like fine we'll like
00:04:41
race on Sunday and we got to Motocross
00:04:43
on Sunday and I was like I'm not racing
00:04:45
like I don't want to ride like I just
00:04:47
had we years and now I'm like listen to
00:04:50
your gut feeling um so like I was like
00:04:51
I'm not riding not riding First St for
00:04:53
practice crashed and I was like I knew
00:04:57
it so yes so what what happened exactly
00:05:00
is it is it on video by the way was
00:05:02
anyone videoing the practice or never
00:05:03
really asked probably not um so like it
00:05:06
so T track I race there a million times
00:05:08
before like same track pretty much um so
00:05:11
they have like a sort Us section so it's
00:05:14
just pretty much sort us and it's like
00:05:15
whoops or like bumps um and before that
00:05:18
it's like a double to double in so you
00:05:20
guess you don't have to miss some of the
00:05:21
track and I don't know what I did I just
00:05:24
went yeah over the jump didn't obviously
00:05:27
was going too slow didn't clear it and I
00:05:29
just yeah went straight over the bars um
00:05:32
as I landed on my head and then that's
00:05:34
kind of I guess how yeah broke my back
00:05:37
and you you're knocked out at that point
00:05:38
are you unconscious or so I was
00:05:40
definitely knocked out um cuz like when
00:05:43
I came like around I like felt my
00:05:45
stomach and then I that's when I
00:05:47
instantly knew like it it's not good wow
00:05:52
um I can't even explain the feeling like
00:05:54
I just knew like I didn't move like you
00:05:55
know you see on the movies like don't
00:05:57
move don't move I knew like straight
00:05:59
away um like yeah I touched my stomach
00:06:02
or I must have went to get up or
00:06:03
something and I just touched like my
00:06:04
tummy and I was like okay something's
00:06:06
wrong like and like the feeling now I'm
00:06:08
still like paralyzed but I it's a
00:06:10
different feeling um what do you mean I
00:06:13
don't know I can't even explain it like
00:06:15
just a tou of my skin or something and
00:06:18
that's when I ins knew like I was like
00:06:19
this is bad so is this when you're lying
00:06:22
lying on the track yeah so at that point
00:06:24
of I've had so many people in similar
00:06:27
situations um um on on the podcast
00:06:30
including SM had on a couple of times at
00:06:32
that point are you um are you like
00:06:34
freaking the [ __ ] out or are you just
00:06:36
alarmingly calm or no I freaked the [ __ ]
00:06:38
out I think yeah like I knew and then I
00:06:41
think I was more scared like I didn't
00:06:42
even think of like that I was so scared
00:06:45
like I knew it was [ __ ] like I say it's
00:06:47
not good but I was more scared for like
00:06:49
Mitch to have to ring my mom and dad
00:06:51
like it like I don't know I just could
00:06:54
like feel the like pain of like knowing
00:06:57
something bad had happened it was real
00:06:59
weird
00:07:00
it says a lot about you doesn't it and
00:07:02
you're you're just an empathetic person
00:07:04
no I'm not I'm like a toughing the [ __ ]
00:07:07
up person but yeah I don't know like and
00:07:10
then I think I knew like the guy that
00:07:11
came up to me he had been like my whole
00:07:13
life of motocross like he was the
00:07:14
ambulance guy he was amazing I'd seen
00:07:17
like so many crashes and he would just
00:07:20
always be there and he said to me do you
00:07:22
want to go to middlemore and I knew that
00:07:23
he wasn't asking me like he was telling
00:07:26
me and I was like yeah like um and and
00:07:29
then I knew he just would have taken
00:07:31
care I just felt safe like with him and
00:07:33
then yeah I was flowing to Middle mow I
00:07:36
don't really
00:07:37
remember that's just all a whirlwind wow
00:07:40
so you're um so the paramedics and the
00:07:43
and the helicopter like what do they
00:07:44
what do they say or what are they doing
00:07:47
I don't know like I think I was pretty
00:07:48
out with I guess they dragged me out
00:07:50
straight away like I had hit my head I
00:07:52
knew I had like something neck cuz my
00:07:54
hands were weird um like tingly or what
00:07:57
yeah so
00:08:00
yeah just but I didn't know kind of at
00:08:01
the time anything like even like I
00:08:03
remember going into the M probably like
00:08:05
when I woke up again and I remember
00:08:07
holding this chick's hand and she gave
00:08:08
me like so much comfort just like I
00:08:10
think I didn't let go behind like don't
00:08:12
let me go I'm poor girl but like was she
00:08:15
like a nurse or must don't leave me um
00:08:20
then yeah I don't really remember
00:08:21
anything even like I was in hospital and
00:08:23
I think like I look back at photos and I
00:08:25
was like smiling in all my photos and
00:08:27
like I don't know get me up but yeah I'm
00:08:29
stuck in a neck brace like wasn't
00:08:31
allowed to move but I think I didn't
00:08:34
realize what I had done you know they'
00:08:36
probably told me 10 times you've broken
00:08:38
your back like every day they probably
00:08:39
tell you that you're paralyzed this and
00:08:41
that but I know I think it probably took
00:08:42
me like a couple of months before I was
00:08:45
like oh [ __ ] yes so so the first few
00:08:48
conversations that you have with um the
00:08:49
doctors or surgeons like what do they
00:08:51
say how do they say it's looking what do
00:08:54
they say the prognosis is do they say
00:08:56
you it's unlikely you're ever going to
00:08:57
walk again or so they're like the worst
00:08:59
first like no car is just straight like
00:09:02
this is supp I suppose they don't want
00:09:04
to give anyone sort of false hope or no
00:09:06
see I'm not like I get that but I'm all
00:09:08
about like so I've got a complete spinal
00:09:10
cord injury so they say so I've done T4
00:09:14
which is from like just under your boes
00:09:16
and T6 I think so they did like a 8 hour
00:09:19
surgery and put some rods in and some
00:09:21
fake ver vertebres and then they told me
00:09:24
like you'd never Bend game um and yeah
00:09:28
you'd never walk game or gaining
00:09:29
sensation and I feel like they told me
00:09:31
that every day like like hey can I go do
00:09:34
something now and then they retell me
00:09:35
and I remember my sister at the time she
00:09:37
was like why is she crying like she's
00:09:38
already been told this but I how do how
00:09:42
do they how do they say it like straight
00:09:44
like no you have a complete spine aord
00:09:46
entry you will not walk again like
00:09:48
there's no evidence to show you walk
00:09:51
again like you've completely damaged
00:09:53
your span cord and they're just real
00:09:54
blunt like no some of it well no sort of
00:09:58
bedside Mana nah I guess they see a
00:10:01
million people a day
00:10:03
and
00:10:05
yeah oh that's a lot to take in yeah but
00:10:08
then um like following your your
00:10:10
Instagram Journey from all the way back
00:10:11
it seems like you were um um you're very
00:10:16
defiant or relentlessly positive from
00:10:17
day one yeah um and there's all these
00:10:20
all these little winds along the way um
00:10:22
like you there's your first outing
00:10:24
outside of hospital um there's um
00:10:27
learning to sit yeah uh 20 seconds on a
00:10:30
tilt table and then 7 minutes on a
00:10:32
standing frame then 30 minutes on a
00:10:34
standing frame so felt like you were
00:10:37
just um just had this Relentless dogged
00:10:40
determination just to almost like flip
00:10:43
the middle yeah the middle finger to the
00:10:45
people that said no um that must have
00:10:48
been a satisfying feeling in those early
00:10:49
days making all these um like
00:10:51
exponential sort of gam yeah I guess so
00:10:53
now I'm oh that's so dumb like 20
00:10:55
seconds but at the time you know that's
00:10:56
a massive jump from like sitting up and
00:10:58
for the doctor was like I know my physio
00:11:00
hated me every day I'm like I want to
00:11:02
move I want to do something like move my
00:11:04
legs get me out of bed like and they'd
00:11:06
be like no no this is how it works you
00:11:08
know they have their like tick box um
00:11:11
and then like standing I feel like they
00:11:13
said to me so many times like I wouldn't
00:11:14
eat like I was eating lollies and
00:11:18
chocolate for like three months like in
00:11:20
the spinal in the like Ward I was like I
00:11:22
wonder I can't stand up I remember they
00:11:24
told me I was allowed out and they're
00:11:25
are you allowed out for a night like go
00:11:27
practice you know go stay in a hotel and
00:11:29
booked to your hotel I I want to go home
00:11:30
I need meat I need like food so we drove
00:11:33
back to taranger and I had like home
00:11:36
kill proper food and then I think I came
00:11:39
back on the Monday and I stood out that
00:11:40
would in my like 30 seconds or whatever
00:11:43
why why were you just eating lollies and
00:11:44
chocolate just cuz the hospital food was
00:11:45
so [ __ ] [ __ ] yeah and I don't know I
00:11:48
like a good treat I must nothing like
00:11:52
you but i' had tumor taken out a bunch
00:11:54
of years ago and I ended up surviving on
00:11:56
the muffin break stuff downstairs cu the
00:11:58
food was awful it's horrible yeah Mitch
00:12:01
loved it so he had to go to work he
00:12:02
moved to Oakland and lived in the van
00:12:04
outside the hospital um so he had come
00:12:07
home and I couldn't make him F so here's
00:12:09
my Hospital F yeah what are I'm I'm
00:12:12
guessing you've had conversations over
00:12:13
the years what are his sort of
00:12:14
Recollections of that
00:12:16
time yeah I don't know like I know he
00:12:19
had a lot of anger like I think he
00:12:21
smashed up our house a bit anger
00:12:24
at I don't know probably just a
00:12:26
situation like I know he's never been
00:12:28
mad at me like he's M um like it's [ __ ]
00:12:31
but he's real good like he doesn't let
00:12:34
me like if I'm like got an excuse for
00:12:36
something I'm not allowed like oh that's
00:12:40
which is good because that keeps you
00:12:41
know like you can just say no to things
00:12:43
or whatever and become like stuck in
00:12:46
your house or whatever but he's like no
00:12:48
I'll lift you I'll do this you know and
00:12:49
it's I guess that keeps yeah like the
00:12:52
positive I'm getting a little bit
00:12:54
emotional what a what what a cool guy
00:12:57
it's a big test on the relationship oh
00:12:59
yeah you know and when we were in the
00:13:01
span award it was like what do they keep
00:13:03
saying they keep like oh we need to do
00:13:05
like sexual like Health oh not Sexual
00:13:06
Health like talks and things like that
00:13:09
and like how to like keep your partner
00:13:12
and like your relationship going but
00:13:13
then the chick said to me like 90% of
00:13:16
the couples that break up they're
00:13:17
already going to anyway
00:13:19
um but just the tapping point B yeah and
00:13:24
like I get that now you know some people
00:13:25
you know they're not meant for each
00:13:26
other or whatever but yeah he's been
00:13:30
good yeah so what's the What's that the
00:13:33
what's the sexual chat they have oh like
00:13:35
no feeling and sensation um so they like
00:13:39
how to like keep that like healthy in a
00:13:41
relationship so I don't think I went to
00:13:43
any like don't talk to
00:13:44
me don't just rub
00:13:47
everything um yeah je it's it's only 303
00:13:50
minutes of I I was maybe going to breach
00:13:52
the stuff later on but since we're here
00:13:54
we can get into it now as much or as
00:13:56
little as you want so um you must have
00:13:59
like um ayous signs or I have your neck
00:14:02
or ears or I don't know see I feel like
00:14:05
I still know yeah like no complaints I
00:14:08
hope he's tell me so but yeah I
00:14:11
definitely think I know like more
00:14:14
now um and and fertility wise if you
00:14:17
decide to have a family it's
00:14:18
everything's the same you can um yeah so
00:14:20
we're actually just we've got a baby on
00:14:22
the way oh no way yes we just found out
00:14:25
yesterday we're having a little girl so
00:14:27
I'm not carrying the baby so we're going
00:14:28
through surrogate here so so so who's
00:14:32
who's the surrogate do you say or you
00:14:33
don't say yeah she's like the most her
00:14:35
name's Brook I met her on Facebook like
00:14:39
the most amazing human I've ever met in
00:14:41
my life so she's carrying our baby oh my
00:14:44
God this is a bizarre tangent for the
00:14:45
podcast so so you went through um uh
00:14:48
fertility treatment and so that they
00:14:50
harvest your eggs yeah so we made
00:14:51
embryos um and then yeah went through S
00:14:55
say so put the amazing because you you
00:14:58
would be unable to carry so I can but
00:15:01
it's really high risk and like I have
00:15:03
like no bladder control no bowel control
00:15:05
like spasms like all this dumb stuff so
00:15:10
I think it would take my Independence
00:15:12
away it's really dangerous it would
00:15:14
probably take you like all of my like
00:15:16
the control I do have away um I wouldn't
00:15:19
be do my rehab and then I have like a
00:15:21
random blood thing I think it might be
00:15:23
from an accident like a I don't know
00:15:25
it's from like a blood transfusion so
00:15:27
I've got like weird blood that might not
00:15:30
like give iron to the baby or something
00:15:31
so it's not worth the risk well so what
00:15:35
sort of
00:15:36
um I I mean I went through a bunch of um
00:15:38
rounds of IVF with um with my partner at
00:15:40
the time uh JJ like we had like six
00:15:43
rounds of IVF before seems like um the
00:15:47
the uh the chat that we had with Dr
00:15:48
Richard fiser the embryologist was
00:15:50
probably like the chats that you've had
00:15:51
with some of your doctors and the he was
00:15:53
like listen you guys need to give it out
00:15:55
it's not going to pretty much so yeah
00:15:58
what sort of um discussions do you have
00:16:00
with um the with the lady that's
00:16:02
carrying the baby like or or counseling
00:16:04
or whatever to make to make sure that
00:16:05
she's okay with it yeah so we had to go
00:16:07
through like all of that stuff and that
00:16:09
has like a weird chromosone thing so
00:16:10
then we had like another thing so we had
00:16:12
to test all our embryos and like all of
00:16:14
that drama but um so you do like the
00:16:17
counseling side of things I think we did
00:16:19
some single counseling to make sure I
00:16:21
was okay with someone hold on my I don't
00:16:23
get a [ __ ] I want a baby like just give
00:16:26
me a baby so that was fine and then we
00:16:27
did like couple counseling to make sure
00:16:29
she has us gu going to give our baby
00:16:32
like up and it was like okay for them
00:16:34
and their family but it wasn't too hard
00:16:37
out I think because she's her and her
00:16:39
family are amazing and their normal like
00:16:42
yeah which helps yeah it's funny that
00:16:44
yeah um just towards the end of our
00:16:46
fertility Journey we um got got a mate
00:16:47
to be a sperm donor um so we had to have
00:16:50
a couple of sessions of counseling and
00:16:52
his wife had to do the same feels like
00:16:54
it's easier to trick them that way and
00:16:55
say the right
00:16:57
things I'm like my sister wants to do my
00:16:59
next one I'm like she wants to have
00:17:01
another baby but I'm like sure we just
00:17:02
book you and now get all our counseling
00:17:03
done it doesn't they won't notice you're
00:17:05
pregnant yeah we can tra oh that's
00:17:08
really exciting congratulations thank
00:17:10
you this is really cool
00:17:13
um yeah I so you mentioned the bladder
00:17:16
thing so so you got no no bladder
00:17:18
control no so if I pee on your couch I'm
00:17:19
real so well I did see an Instagram post
00:17:22
um uh when was it um hang on on May 2019
00:17:28
you you peed on trainer's
00:17:30
shoulder what I was going to ask about
00:17:32
that how does that happen they still
00:17:34
love
00:17:35
it um so I I'm kind of good so I self
00:17:38
catheterize um so even you when I first
00:17:40
had my accent like that stuff I didn't
00:17:43
like that would have been months later
00:17:44
and I I'm like I must had like a cathet
00:17:46
a bag I'm like why do I have that like I
00:17:49
want to go to the toilet by myself and
00:17:50
oh you're never going to like what do
00:17:51
you think you've been doing this whole
00:17:52
time like hey like I don't know your
00:17:54
stone register I guess for like living
00:17:56
in the kind of the moment um so yeah I
00:17:59
self catheterized but I can get a shiver
00:18:03
when I need to go toilet but then I
00:18:05
never used to so that's like new thing
00:18:06
so that's pretty
00:18:08
cool like time it yeah so I'm like oh
00:18:11
I'm shivering I'm like kicking everyone
00:18:12
like you need a pee so yeah I'll just
00:18:14
sometimes pee anytime anywhere so you
00:18:18
you um you you just strike me as being
00:18:20
um just so so positive and independent
00:18:23
were you were you like this pre excident
00:18:25
or do you think youve really of stepped
00:18:27
up definitely like as much as like it's
00:18:30
the shittest thing and I wouldn't wash
00:18:31
it upon
00:18:33
anyone but saying that like and I hate
00:18:36
it and I want to walk but saying that I
00:18:37
love like my life and like I guess where
00:18:40
I've come you know like I I'm probably
00:18:43
I'm a bit person from it oh yeah I think
00:18:45
so I don't know I just think of things I
00:18:48
think differently now and I see like a
00:18:51
different side um yeah I don't know I'm
00:18:55
just I guess happy with where I am at
00:18:58
and Le would be the best but yeah yeah I
00:19:01
I know that's the um the ultimate goal
00:19:02
and um sh I mean the stuff that you
00:19:04
share online is inspirational like it's
00:19:06
just
00:19:07
um I I'm you we talked before about the
00:19:10
gains early on like the standing frame
00:19:11
and stuff like that and I'm sure now
00:19:13
there periods where there's weeks or
00:19:15
months or even you know quarter of a
00:19:17
year where it feels like you're even
00:19:19
going backwards or there's no gains at
00:19:20
all you must be like what the [ __ ] am I
00:19:22
doing um and you probably get frustrated
00:19:24
and down on yourself but [ __ ] you must
00:19:26
be proud yeah I think I'm in that r at
00:19:28
the moment um yeah
00:19:32
I I did like a ligament on my ankle over
00:19:35
Christmas I was probably drunk or
00:19:37
something I don't even know how it
00:19:38
happened because normally I know when I
00:19:39
hurt myself um and that's like a long
00:19:42
healing time and like I have never had
00:19:45
like I'm lucky because I'm really
00:19:47
unstable but I've never had any like
00:19:49
setbacks and I feel like that just
00:19:51
[ __ ] me up because like I had you know
00:19:53
holidays and then now I went every time
00:19:55
I go to stand on my foot or stand up I
00:19:57
was spas and I couldn't do it and then I
00:19:59
get like yeah I'm like feel like I'm
00:20:01
stuck in like a funk and then I felt
00:20:03
like everyone's giving up on me like not
00:20:05
that they are and it's nothing to do
00:20:07
with them anyway but I'm like I want
00:20:08
someone to believe I guess as well as
00:20:11
myself um but yeah I think I'm back
00:20:14
now yeah because it must be must be hard
00:20:17
day because you you do want to keep
00:20:20
um you know keep your eye on the prize
00:20:22
and um and keep progressing but then I
00:20:25
suppose there's this part of you that
00:20:27
also has to accept that this the is the
00:20:28
life that potentially you've got now
00:20:30
yeah see I'm still I have an accepted I
00:20:33
don't think I ever will however I've
00:20:35
like changed my focus like when I had my
00:20:37
accident I was doing probably eight
00:20:39
hours of rehab a day like I was anything
00:20:43
everything I probably spend much
00:20:45
probably hates me I spent all of our
00:20:46
money
00:20:48
on anything for my rehab like I'll try
00:20:52
it um and then I remember some guy
00:20:55
telling me he was in a whe to himself
00:20:57
and he his goal wasn't to walk and he
00:20:59
told me you need to find like your
00:21:01
purpose kind of thing like maybe you
00:21:02
should go back to work and stuff and I
00:21:04
was like [ __ ] you like I was real mad at
00:21:05
him for even saying that I'm like you
00:21:07
don't get it like you don't want to walk
00:21:08
so you don't get it um and then I think
00:21:12
a few weeks later I had like this thing
00:21:14
and I was like holy [ __ ] like I need a
00:21:16
purpose like I need something for me I
00:21:18
think we were doing some speak houses at
00:21:20
the time but we had done it before I
00:21:21
knew how to do it it wasn't enough um
00:21:24
and that's when kind of like the gym
00:21:26
came along because I was like desperate
00:21:28
to like find something else um yeah yeah
00:21:33
yeah and um oh just going back to after
00:21:34
the accident so there was like a give a
00:21:35
little page set up um which was massive
00:21:38
there was like a 20,000 bucks from o
00:21:40
over 150 people what other fundraisers
00:21:42
were there I saw a photo of you on
00:21:44
Instagram with a a giant ceremonial
00:21:46
cheick yeah so the Motocross Community
00:21:48
was amazing um and like random people
00:21:52
like so lovely like families from school
00:21:55
from primary school like donated me
00:21:57
money like for my rehab um yeah we done
00:22:00
like a couple of like fundraisers for Mo
00:22:02
through the Motocross community so um
00:22:04
training days and like those fast guys
00:22:07
would always yeah like do like a
00:22:08
training because everyone wanted them to
00:22:10
teach them and then he' give me the
00:22:11
money like yeah so it was amazing like
00:22:14
hand yeah like amazing people just so
00:22:17
generous to like give someone a hand
00:22:19
yeah that's so cool what do what do you
00:22:21
do with that money I'm guessing there's
00:22:22
a lot of um cost involved like yeah I
00:22:25
don't know like modifications to your
00:22:27
house or anything or to the vehicle ACC
00:22:29
so like super super lucky um and
00:22:32
grateful for ACC for the fact of like my
00:22:35
house like I just got my house done
00:22:36
finish now or yeah just finished it um
00:22:40
like my car they like obviously modified
00:22:42
my car gave me money towards like a
00:22:43
decent car um but my rehab because I've
00:22:48
got a complete spinal cord injury is not
00:22:50
covered um so they give you physio but
00:22:52
physio for me like I think I fired my
00:22:55
air
00:22:56
physio she but
00:22:59
why did you why did you bu your fizzy
00:23:00
well I think she dumped me before I had
00:23:02
a chance to dump her which I was so
00:23:04
pissed off
00:23:05
about why are you a nightmare client and
00:23:07
that you're just so driven or yes just
00:23:10
like we're going to learn transfers
00:23:12
today I don't want to [ __ ] learn to
00:23:14
transfer like or like transferring from
00:23:17
here to my chair or here into the car
00:23:19
like I'll figure that out myself I think
00:23:21
at the spinal W they told me had to take
00:23:22
my Cher P to get into the car and I like
00:23:24
threw it across the ground like stop
00:23:26
teaching me this like and now I'm at I
00:23:28
probably should have listened cuz I got
00:23:29
home and I was like okay I don't know
00:23:31
how to do it but you work it out where
00:23:33
where are you in the birth order I
00:23:34
mentioned at the start you're 104 um so
00:23:37
there's three of us like older ones so I
00:23:39
was like middle and then I've got a
00:23:41
sister that's 10 years younger are they
00:23:43
all similar to you or are you yeah prob
00:23:46
me you seem quite like stoppy and uh I
00:23:50
don't don't know if stoppy is the word
00:23:52
or just like yeah just this dog of
00:23:54
determination which is inspirational by
00:23:56
the way it's just a psycho yeah psycho
00:23:59
yeah I didn't want to say psycho but
00:24:02
years psycho energy yeah um so yeah now
00:24:06
so I have to pay for like all the rehab
00:24:08
I
00:24:09
do wow the physio are like different
00:24:13
yeah kind of rehab yeah but there's some
00:24:15
um amazing footage footage of you online
00:24:18
like walking with frames and stuff like
00:24:19
that and you you know your legs are sort
00:24:21
of shaking
00:24:22
uncontrollably um but you're up and
00:24:24
you're standing and you're moving
00:24:26
forward what's that sort of stion like
00:24:29
so like I'm real big on I need a lot of
00:24:33
like weight or something like through my
00:24:35
legs to like feel things um but yeah
00:24:38
like as soon as I stand up and as soon
00:24:40
as I like go to like flick and my [ __ ]
00:24:43
kind of like way I can feel like it
00:24:46
happening and like it changes like in my
00:24:48
leg um so yeah I know like when it's d s
00:24:52
cor yeah it's weird yeah yeah um so
00:24:57
March 2019 you went back to the uh
00:24:58
motocross track in too for the first
00:25:00
time yes um do you still enjoy the sport
00:25:03
you still enjoy no not really um Mitch
00:25:06
kind of stopped because he raced as well
00:25:08
and like my whole family kind of stopped
00:25:10
um and he's just got back into I think I
00:25:12
hate it because I don't want him to like
00:25:13
I don't want people to hurt themselves
00:25:15
like I know right right I'm like you
00:25:17
know how bad it can be yeah and I think
00:25:19
like when I had my accident as well I
00:25:21
wasn't so scared as I'd been around
00:25:23
Motocross for so long and everyone that
00:25:24
had broken their back just walked again
00:25:26
you know like it wasn't you're not
00:25:27
paralyzed for you're just broken at the
00:25:29
start and then you walk again so I
00:25:31
didn't know that side of things um and
00:25:34
now I do so I'm like and I see like our
00:25:36
germ I guess is like a massive eye
00:25:38
opener for life um so yeah I don't like
00:25:42
seeing it yeah but yeah I have to be the
00:25:45
supportive wife you know yeah um oh you
00:25:48
just he still ride oh he's just got back
00:25:50
into um like in a Speedway track um flat
00:25:53
track it's called um yeah and then we
00:25:56
came out to or like couple of weekends
00:25:57
ago first race like right in front of me
00:26:00
he like falls off and the bikes all
00:26:02
crash into him like right into his back
00:26:04
and I was like I can't deal and then the
00:26:06
other friend we took crashed and I was
00:26:08
like watching that guy oh my God that
00:26:10
poor guy and then I realized it was like
00:26:11
our guy I was like oh I don't like this
00:26:15
one um what about your sisters like did
00:26:19
they um since you're all rode after the
00:26:21
accident do they have like a I don't
00:26:23
know like some sort of survivors guilt
00:26:25
or anything like that you know where I
00:26:27
don't know no I don't think so like
00:26:29
they're pretty amazing like and so good
00:26:32
of me like I think I find it the hardest
00:26:35
being around my sisters because I
00:26:37
compare um because they're like I guess
00:26:39
me but not me and they're like normal so
00:26:42
I'm like I struggle but yeah that
00:26:44
amazing with me and I I don't know think
00:26:46
they're just like ready to let it
00:26:50
go yeah well yeah I mean you when you
00:26:53
see how bad it can be I suppose it would
00:26:55
hard to keep going and and keep your
00:26:57
nerve yeah to do the things that you
00:26:58
need to do I know Jesse's real so I
00:27:02
actually live with one of my sisters at
00:27:03
the moment and she's real like scared of
00:27:06
things and like with her little girl she
00:27:07
be careful be careful I'm like we need
00:27:08
to like stop that and I know that's
00:27:10
because of me when she had her kids
00:27:12
she's like I can't have an epidural
00:27:13
because I don't want to like I couldn't
00:27:15
deal with like the family so you just
00:27:17
went through pain because you're too
00:27:18
scared to be like
00:27:20
me oh it's quite lovely though is it
00:27:23
yeah things like that how does how does
00:27:25
that make you feel well I felt bad for
00:27:28
is my life that [ __ ] that you don't even
00:27:30
want to practice it Okay there's um
00:27:33
there's a saying that everyone uses that
00:27:35
every cloud has a silver lining um what
00:27:38
is the um the Silver Lining and being
00:27:40
unable to walk or have you not found it
00:27:42
yet no I haven't found it
00:27:44
no
00:27:46
yeah um work on it and who who is olle
00:27:50
coffee uh so he's a guy I did neurop
00:27:52
physics with um so I did a lot with him
00:27:55
when I first had my accident so it's
00:27:57
like a different kind of
00:27:59
therapy I guess um I don't know how to
00:28:02
explain it I've seen seen some articles
00:28:03
online where yeah you're just like
00:28:05
pumping up his tires big time
00:28:08
yeah has he been really good um yeah he
00:28:10
was amazing so I've kind of stopped that
00:28:12
at the moment um I think lockdown was
00:28:15
really good for me because it made me
00:28:16
kind of like figure out what I should
00:28:20
what was working for me um so after
00:28:23
lockdown because I was doing so much and
00:28:25
it cost you shitload of money um so I
00:28:28
kind of simmered down and just was am
00:28:30
doing the stuff that I'm doing currently
00:28:33
um cuz I didn't think I went backwards I
00:28:35
kind of just CL so I was like maybe I
00:28:38
don't need to be doing that so much I
00:28:39
don't yeah so I'm just kind of have been
00:28:41
playing with what to do yeah so so so
00:28:44
what does like an average day look like
00:28:45
these days so so you wake up in the
00:28:47
morning yeah so I open the gym so I
00:28:51
normally go there first um no let's go
00:28:53
let's go all the way back though like in
00:28:54
terms of like the admin of like getting
00:28:56
out of Bard and okay I'm not your
00:28:58
typical spinal cord injury like person I
00:29:02
get up I pretty much go to the gym of my
00:29:05
andies yeah like I remember they telling
00:29:08
me like you have to like do this in the
00:29:09
morning like bow routine and all this
00:29:11
like [ __ ] that [ __ ] I'm I'm living life
00:29:14
like I'm not spending an hours doing
00:29:15
that I get up go to the gym and then I
00:29:19
do a lot of electrical stem for say any
00:29:21
any of that um so I do like eest bike um
00:29:24
Brad does lot of it I think as well so I
00:29:26
do that in the mornings and you like
00:29:28
sticker your like whole bum and
00:29:29
everything up with like electrical pads
00:29:31
I do that for like 45 minutes um can you
00:29:34
feel anything I can feel it just like
00:29:37
pulsing yeah yeah so I know that it's on
00:29:40
um so I do that in the mornings and then
00:29:43
like set up the gym and then I do kind
00:29:47
of like training and stuff in the
00:29:48
mornings with like clients um and then
00:29:51
I've been I do my rehab like every
00:29:53
afternoon so I do a couple of hours
00:29:56
every afternoon um and then I had been
00:29:59
when I'm training I have to go back at
00:30:01
night because you run out of daytime I
00:30:03
have trying to run a business like you
00:30:05
got to train like my reur and stuff so I
00:30:08
had been going back at night to the gym
00:30:09
and training like your body because I
00:30:12
guess like when you're doing your like
00:30:13
walking and stuff you're not keeping fot
00:30:15
or it's just rehabs it's kind of like a
00:30:18
different exercise you know you just
00:30:20
need to do something [ __ ] you're so
00:30:23
inspirational do you um how do how do
00:30:25
you feel being called
00:30:26
inspirational I know I don't think I'm
00:30:28
that cool like there's people out there
00:30:30
are way better than me you said that I
00:30:31
went back through our our DMS to cuz I
00:30:34
approach you about coming on the podcast
00:30:36
and you like I don't know if I'm that
00:30:37
cool um I happen to think you are I
00:30:40
think I think you're remarkable even
00:30:42
even like just that little throwaway
00:30:43
comment before where you said no [ __ ]
00:30:45
that I'm not doing that morning routine
00:30:47
like just this um this sort of uh
00:30:49
defiant attitude you've got and just
00:30:51
this determination and this Relentless
00:30:53
positivity I think that is just the
00:30:55
coolest thing
00:30:56
ever it's really cool
00:30:59
you're um yeah yeah I mean your husband
00:31:01
must be so proud your family must be so
00:31:03
proud and uh your your child on the way
00:31:05
they're going to be very proud as well
00:31:07
it's it's it's it's it's bloody cool I
00:31:10
it's neat you must you're just being
00:31:12
modest right oh I think it's well
00:31:15
like I just cuz I'm in a wheare doesn't
00:31:18
I don't know you know like I'm still the
00:31:20
same as you and anyone else like um but
00:31:23
some people have [ __ ] attitudes and I'm
00:31:25
like that's dumb like that's not a cool
00:31:27
person to be like no matter what your
00:31:28
situation is like you can either be
00:31:31
miserable or it's not going to get you
00:31:33
anywhere and I think that's my thing
00:31:34
like I could be sad and like I'm in so
00:31:36
much pain all the time but if I just sit
00:31:38
at home and be grumpy or like show
00:31:41
people that it doesn't get me anywhere
00:31:44
what sort of pain are you in it's like
00:31:45
phantom pain or kind of so like the
00:31:48
nerve pain um so it's getting worse the
00:31:52
more I Reon I get back so to me that's
00:31:56
like a positive like give me more
00:31:58
like if I'm going to get something out
00:32:00
of it um but yeah how is it like how was
00:32:05
your mental health like sort of
00:32:06
immediately afterwards or in the you the
00:32:07
weeks been amazing like yeah did you
00:32:10
bounce back because in I mean it's hard
00:32:12
to get full gauge on someone from
00:32:14
Instagram but it's like as I mentioned
00:32:15
before it seemed like immediately after
00:32:18
the accident you were sort of in the
00:32:20
mindset of okay what do I need to do
00:32:21
next yeah and then you were learning to
00:32:23
sit by the way what is involved with
00:32:24
learning to sit well I was like a yoa
00:32:28
I think cuz I have no core so I'm paral
00:32:30
I'm here it's like everything and you
00:32:32
don't think that you use like everything
00:32:34
to like sit out so just practice really
00:32:37
like yeah I think they used to like hold
00:32:39
me and then they' slowly lower where my
00:32:41
support would be um it's got to be the
00:32:43
weirdest sensation yeah
00:32:47
so and then and then the um there was
00:32:49
the tilt table thing we talked about and
00:32:50
some other thing what what why is that
00:32:52
so hard I was
00:32:55
fainting after like a matter of seconds
00:32:57
yeah and I reckon that's for because
00:32:58
they had no food at me and the lady was
00:33:00
a dop she kept saying to me like oh we
00:33:02
haven't had anyone do this in a long
00:33:03
time and I'm like get out you're like
00:33:05
you work with people like this all the
00:33:07
time but she used to make me feel like
00:33:08
[ __ ] like it's just you like but U I got
00:33:13
rid of her to my God for so now I'm too
00:33:17
scared to go back to the spinal W
00:33:19
because I don't want to see her cuz I'm
00:33:20
like I'm going to walk and now I'm still
00:33:22
not walking I'm like oh I don't want her
00:33:23
to like laugh at me like I'm still
00:33:25
scared of physios because I think that
00:33:26
they're laughing at me but or like they
00:33:28
think I'm wasting my time but I know
00:33:30
that's so stupid as they'll get some
00:33:34
sort of sense of validation or
00:33:36
satisfaction that they told you you you
00:33:37
it wasn't going to happen and they were
00:33:39
right yes I I think you'd have to be a
00:33:41
weird I know I twisted individual to
00:33:43
think that I think it's commendable that
00:33:45
you're that you're trying and and that
00:33:47
you're this determined yeah well I think
00:33:48
as well I put in so many hours like if I
00:33:51
give up now what was the point yeah um
00:33:55
how do you keep going with the rehab
00:33:56
when there are you periods with had any
00:33:58
sort of progress or gains I think that
00:34:00
and I don't want to live like this like
00:34:02
I [ __ ] hate being in my wheelchair
00:34:03
like if I go anywhere I hide my
00:34:05
wheelchair like I don't know and I hate
00:34:07
being unhelpful like it's so annoying
00:34:11
what do you mean unhelpful well I do
00:34:13
like everything that I can do but like
00:34:15
we live on a farm and it's like I just
00:34:17
want to go like spray those away do I'm
00:34:20
not like I'm AIC farmer and like but
00:34:22
just be helpful to me it's like all I do
00:34:24
is watch them and then I'll be like try
00:34:25
to love something I can't do just let me
00:34:28
be helpful like this morning I went to
00:34:30
the xville and I had all the stuff in my
00:34:32
car and I had this big basket on me like
00:34:34
peeping over it and then I had like a TV
00:34:37
and stuff and then this guy's oh can I
00:34:38
do it for you I'm okay yeah goad I'll
00:34:40
play it
00:34:41
sometimes but like it's just annoying
00:34:43
you know like you want to be a to do
00:34:46
stuff yeah I suppose I'm curious about
00:34:48
this because
00:34:50
um everyone I think at some point
00:34:52
imagines what it would be like to lose
00:34:54
your ability to walk and you're never
00:34:56
never sure thankfully um what you'd be
00:34:59
like in that situation like whether
00:35:01
you'd be a fighter or whether you'd be
00:35:03
you sad and depressed yeah I don't know
00:35:05
he like
00:35:07
um you'd have to find
00:35:11
something like if I didn't have my go to
00:35:13
walk I think You' if I just accepted it
00:35:16
I'd need like a purpose somewhere else
00:35:18
like you'd have to have something deep I
00:35:21
think else I don't know how You' do it
00:35:24
like happily but it seems like your life
00:35:27
um is as as pretty good as as is as in
00:35:30
you're making the best of a a [ __ ]
00:35:32
situation yeah for sure like and I have
00:35:34
it easy P to a lot of people like
00:35:36
sometimes my hands still go paralyzed
00:35:38
like yesterday because I've I don't know
00:35:40
what like there's something in my neck
00:35:41
that's weird and I know when I'm tired
00:35:42
or I've been like doing stuff like bent
00:35:44
down my hands go paralyzed and it's like
00:35:47
the scariest thing in the world I'm like
00:35:49
I don't think I'm always like to match
00:35:50
this sounds really bad like I don't have
00:35:52
mental have issues but I'm like if that
00:35:53
happens to me like push me off the
00:35:54
bridge I don't know how people do it
00:35:56
like I think like I'm so grateful that I
00:35:59
have like my hands and like my arms um I
00:36:03
think if I was in that situation I'd be
00:36:04
totally different but because I have you
00:36:07
know I'm still able to do things makes
00:36:09
it way easier and then I see people in
00:36:11
[ __ ] situation so I'm I need to like
00:36:14
tough up like I'll have cry on the way
00:36:15
home every now and then oh really yeah
00:36:18
yeah do you do you are you generally
00:36:20
quite good at like um keeping that stuff
00:36:23
hidden from uh you know your husband
00:36:25
your friends yeah yeah are you um
00:36:28
sometimes my dad always Rings me like
00:36:30
he'll ring me on the way home how's your
00:36:32
Walkers I'm like good and then I know
00:36:34
that he can like hear it in my voice
00:36:36
I've got to go and I'm like I know
00:36:37
you're just going to hang out because
00:36:38
you don't you'll cry L it makes him sad
00:36:40
and then he'll my mom will ring me I'm
00:36:42
like Dad told you I was
00:36:44
sad but like I'm pretty good like I
00:36:47
think I cried to my um so Aaron he owns
00:36:49
the gym with me I think I cried to him
00:36:51
the other day like in the middle of that
00:36:52
room and I just blew up I hate this I
00:36:55
just want to walk like how help me like
00:36:58
all he does is help me for the last
00:37:00
seven years or i' be over me
00:37:02
but I'm
00:37:05
good why um why do you try and hide it
00:37:08
so much like it's perfectly
00:37:10
understandable I know I just because I
00:37:12
upset other people like like my sister
00:37:15
for if I like showed her anything
00:37:17
towards when upstair like break her
00:37:19
heart and I'm oh I can't do that it's
00:37:21
funny this almost goes back to what you
00:37:23
were saying before when you're lying on
00:37:24
the track and you're like oh I don't
00:37:25
want my parents to
00:37:27
wow but like seeing someone else in pain
00:37:30
is a lot harder than yourself being in
00:37:32
pain I reckon yeah but these these
00:37:34
people are here for you to lean on I
00:37:35
know and they
00:37:37
are but I'm like I'm okay I just need to
00:37:39
cry all the way home and then I'm like
00:37:41
good it's
00:37:44
out oh my god um you're hilarious you're
00:37:48
hilarious have you have you had any um
00:37:50
therapy or counseling about this I know
00:37:52
you mentioned before you had the
00:37:53
fertility counseling I remember I think
00:37:56
at the beginning they send me to a
00:37:59
mindfulness lady and she was actually
00:38:01
amazing she was like you didn't fire her
00:38:04
no I didn't fire her she was really nice
00:38:06
actually no she like saw me for free one
00:38:09
day she was a positive positive pathway
00:38:11
is what something her name was she loves
00:38:13
and pep Mo and she randomly messaged me
00:38:15
and was like can I like see you I didn't
00:38:16
think she was a counselor or anything I
00:38:18
was like yeah of course you can and then
00:38:20
I like went and talk to her but she was
00:38:22
really about I think the purpose thing
00:38:25
um so she was really helpful she wasn't
00:38:26
like a coun
00:38:27
or anything but she was just like you
00:38:29
need to like find you um so I think that
00:38:33
was good but yeah no I haven't really
00:38:35
but I'm haven't needed to no no like
00:38:38
um last year I had a bit of a tough year
00:38:41
one of my friends killed himself in at
00:38:43
my house and I found him and um oh I
00:38:47
think I have so much anger like I could
00:38:51
have helped you you know what I mean but
00:38:52
I was like I feel like he wouldn't have
00:38:53
wanted to show me pain um and I was like
00:38:57
I hate this that people were like soft
00:38:59
around me like tell me you know so that
00:39:02
was probably like the hardest but sorry
00:39:05
yeah no that's right do you want some
00:39:06
I've got some tissues over here should I
00:39:08
get some Tiss I'll get some
00:39:14
tisses a cute but no other than that I
00:39:17
think that what annoyed me the most is
00:39:19
because people think I'm hurting or you
00:39:21
know so it's like they can't you know
00:39:24
the people I'm like the closest to like
00:39:26
I was like as brother you know know um
00:39:28
her sister sorry so I'm like who was he
00:39:30
just a really good friend yeah he pretty
00:39:32
much him he's her twin and him and his
00:39:35
twin he's one of merch bre friends and
00:39:37
they've lived with us they go overseas
00:39:39
and they've lived with us our whole life
00:39:41
pretty much like one of them or the
00:39:43
other one like you know that's always
00:39:44
been swapped um like I knew he wasn't
00:39:47
okay but I didn't know like the extent
00:39:49
of like depression and stuff so now I do
00:39:53
um but yeah I think that was just a
00:39:56
tough thing to like learn I don't know
00:39:58
oh that's a heroing thing to go through
00:40:00
yeah um so yeah I guess that kind of
00:40:03
annoys me because I knew like I was as
00:40:05
closest person but he didn't tell me
00:40:07
because I think he wouldn't have wanted
00:40:10
to yeah I've had um a couple of friends
00:40:13
that have gone out the same way and it
00:40:15
sort of made one of them in particular I
00:40:17
could see a lot of myself in him like
00:40:19
this guy was the life of the party um
00:40:22
but and it only became evident after he
00:40:24
um took his own life that he he had
00:40:26
bipolar but he didn't want to like tell
00:40:27
anyone that he worked with because he of
00:40:29
the stigma yeah and he was scared it
00:40:30
would cost him promotions and stuff
00:40:32
because people would be like oh don't
00:40:33
give him a promotion he might freak out
00:40:36
um and then that made me realize [ __ ] I
00:40:38
got to I got to start prioritizing my
00:40:39
own mental health because I didn't want
00:40:41
to end up in the same position it was
00:40:43
and I think for a lot of guys guys in
00:40:45
particular um it's just easier to do
00:40:47
that than to like have the difficult
00:40:49
conversations with people which is
00:40:50
terrible why but yeah I think I'm so
00:40:53
like oblivious to all of that like I was
00:40:57
um
00:40:59
yeah so I guess like and I think as well
00:41:02
like I've been so strong like this whole
00:41:03
time so I think for him like telling
00:41:05
someone like you know me he thinks I'm
00:41:07
so strong or whatever like I won't
00:41:10
understand and I'm like I don't care you
00:41:11
know everyone's different everyone like
00:41:13
takes things differently but yeah yeah I
00:41:15
think that was probably like a tricky
00:41:17
thing but yeah I've been fine but yeah
00:41:20
when was this uh last August right sept
00:41:23
oh June
00:41:25
July you've been for a lot haven't you
00:41:29
you know um you because you put a time
00:41:31
stamp in things and uh you know the
00:41:33
pandemic was a lot for a lot of people
00:41:35
you the lockdowns and um and the you the
00:41:39
the spin-off effects from from all that
00:41:40
it's it's been uh detrimental for a lot
00:41:42
of people's mental health and pre that
00:41:44
and then post that you've had all this
00:41:46
other stuff going on as well look at you
00:41:48
you just smiled you through tougher yeah
00:41:51
you reckon I think so I hope so um what
00:41:54
are some um new hobbies and interests
00:41:57
that you've learned since the accident
00:41:58
have you picked up anything new not like
00:42:01
Hobbies I feel like I've got no time and
00:42:02
I know people like that's an excuse but
00:42:04
like I'm so busy like I think like we've
00:42:07
been renovating for like three years so
00:42:09
every weekend we're like doing something
00:42:12
um renovating so your house is Casey
00:42:15
friendly or yeah yeah but like subtle CU
00:42:18
I don't like the
00:42:20
wheelchair God so you never walk in and
00:42:23
think it's a we to accessible house but
00:42:25
it is
00:42:27
what does that mean just not a steep
00:42:30
ramp or oh so like my kitchen bench is
00:42:34
like pretty and like it's like my scaly
00:42:37
so you wouldn't like know and like
00:42:41
yeah I like to look normal um but no not
00:42:44
really I think like the gym is like my
00:42:47
passion like my baby um yeah was it like
00:42:50
that beforehand no so I had like I just
00:42:53
trained like before my accident I just
00:42:54
did like Gym classes I hated the gym um
00:42:57
and then when I started training like my
00:42:59
rehab stuff I was very annoying to my
00:43:02
trainer and that's when we like made the
00:43:04
gym um to help I guess people because
00:43:07
there was nowhere for me to go um to do
00:43:10
like any of the stuff I wanted like
00:43:12
proper
00:43:13
rehab so yeah now I just I don't know I
00:43:16
guess you want to help as many people as
00:43:17
you can to like even get them out of
00:43:19
their house
00:43:21
to I don't know for like their mental
00:43:23
health like it's got to help you to like
00:43:25
feel safe and yeah yeah it's cool I love
00:43:27
it yeah and like people do amazing
00:43:30
things yeah absolutely and oh there was
00:43:32
a photo on Instagram of you at the top
00:43:34
of Mount [ __ ] with a bunch of friends
00:43:36
um how did that happen to they they will
00:43:38
you up to a certain point or they piggy
00:43:40
me piggy backed me the whole way the
00:43:42
whole way oh that seems excessive even
00:43:46
La that was so good so um yeah it was
00:43:50
like a group guys I went to
00:43:52
um it was like a course kind of for like
00:43:55
it was like a random course was put on
00:43:57
and I guess it was for like like
00:44:01
positive thinking and stuff like that
00:44:02
was like a whole lot of random people
00:44:04
and it was like them that took me out
00:44:05
the mount so like I had met them and
00:44:07
they're like oh do you want to go out
00:44:08
the mount one day and I was like yeah of
00:44:09
course I do and then they piggybacked me
00:44:11
the whole way out so they just like tag
00:44:12
teamed up to the top it was amazing like
00:44:15
random people just like out there to
00:44:16
help yeah now the um I mean we only met
00:44:20
like 45 minutes ago but the um the the
00:44:23
impression I'm getting from you is that
00:44:24
you're someone that's um you fiercely
00:44:26
independent with this dog determination
00:44:29
so I'm I'm guessing part of you didn't
00:44:31
like being piggybacked up the mount but
00:44:33
on the flip side of that like it's the
00:44:35
nicest thing you could do for another
00:44:36
person oh it was so cool um yeah it was
00:44:38
awesome I don't mind it see I'll play it
00:44:41
when I need to I'll
00:44:43
play so sometimes I'm like okay we need
00:44:46
to get this like if I'm with a boy or
00:44:49
someone that doesn't understand I'll go
00:44:50
by myself cuz someone will help me you
00:44:53
just went in the car yeah well when when
00:44:56
um I met you just outside like prior to
00:44:58
doing this like you it was it was
00:44:59
raining you're in your chair um bare
00:45:01
feet um and you just like wheeled down
00:45:04
the hill Andross the road at the traffic
00:45:06
lights and then started Wheeling back up
00:45:08
again you're you're you're fiercely
00:45:09
independent
00:45:11
like yeah but it feels like there's
00:45:14
nothing I mean apart from OB the you the
00:45:16
obvious there's nothing that you can't
00:45:18
do like you're just getting on with
00:45:19
things yeah yeah yeah I have to and I
00:45:22
think that's what brings like a lot of
00:45:24
positivity because I can like live a
00:45:26
normal life as such um yeah so if it
00:45:30
never got any better than this it's
00:45:32
still not bad it's still not bad like I
00:45:34
definitely want more um and I think as
00:45:36
well like I have always wanted to be a
00:45:38
mom that played with the kid you know
00:45:40
and played soccer or you know just done
00:45:43
like the fun things and I think there's
00:45:44
a thing I'm like I need to like I know
00:45:47
they'll love me just as much but yeah
00:45:50
have you looked at doing any sports or I
00:45:53
think it's time and I hate being in my
00:45:54
chair so it makes me feel [ __ ] and I
00:45:56
sounds really
00:45:58
probably like Savage on people in
00:45:59
wheelchairs but I'm like I don't like to
00:46:01
like associate I don't know like there's
00:46:03
nothing like everyone was same as you
00:46:05
and same as anyone but I just it's like
00:46:09
an eye opener like this is what you are
00:46:11
um even though there's nothing wrong but
00:46:13
I just don't like being in my chair like
00:46:14
I I don't know I think that's an
00:46:17
acceptance thing
00:46:20
yeah that sounds terrible no well I mean
00:46:24
I mean yeah no one else can say if it's
00:46:27
terrible or not it's just yeah it's an
00:46:29
interesting mindset when when you dream
00:46:30
do you dream that you're able-bodied or
00:46:33
100% I had the same dream like if I
00:46:35
dream I dream this dream that I
00:46:38
can I've been I know that I'm like
00:46:40
paralyzed or something but I dream that
00:46:42
I walk and when I because I'm a real
00:46:44
fast Walker and I think I was before my
00:46:46
accident I'm always in a rush um I have
00:46:49
the stream and I sat like running and
00:46:51
when I stop because I used to love
00:46:53
running so when I stop running I can't
00:46:55
walk anymore so I'm like I can't stop
00:46:57
like I just have to keep running like so
00:46:59
I'm like obviously this something and
00:47:01
sometimes I like go to like get up or
00:47:02
get out of the car and I'm like oh yeah
00:47:05
that's
00:47:06
right when you have these dreams like
00:47:08
are you bummed out when you wake up or
00:47:10
yeah damn it but like I still like my
00:47:13
life yeah yeah it's funny CU I read
00:47:16
somewhere or I heard somewhere that um
00:47:19
when when you start dreaming as you are
00:47:21
that's when you've accepted it so for
00:47:24
people that lose that um there's been
00:47:26
couple of yeah I've had a couple of like
00:47:28
double UTS on the show and mailer and
00:47:31
now you and it's um yeah when when you
00:47:33
start to dream as you are I believe that
00:47:37
yeah but yeah and like my dreams are
00:47:38
weird so it's like I'm never like stuck
00:47:41
in my whech my dreams it's like but I
00:47:43
just have to keep going yeah um have you
00:47:46
encountered any stigma or misconceptions
00:47:48
around disabilities what's been any sort
00:47:50
of I openening thing
00:47:52
there
00:47:54
um before my accident I thought he in a
00:47:57
wheelchair was like something wrong you
00:47:59
know like didn't ever think like it
00:48:02
could happen to the standard person
00:48:04
walking down the road like now I like
00:48:06
see R what happened to you like was that
00:48:09
the first thing you ask why are you I
00:48:12
don't know I like to know people's
00:48:13
stories because like it can happen to
00:48:15
anyone um but yeah I guess like every I
00:48:19
don't know and what are some of those
00:48:22
stories from People You Meet swimming
00:48:25
and diving into pools like really don't
00:48:27
ever dive into a
00:48:28
pool yeah like hats are random like and
00:48:31
sports um I've got a few like cool
00:48:34
people that are like they have broken
00:48:35
their backs and stuff from Motocross
00:48:37
that are paralyzed and they're like
00:48:39
doing mean so I like kind of talk to
00:48:41
those people yeah and um any sort of
00:48:46
like Role Models or sources of
00:48:47
inspiration I know I know there there's
00:48:49
um one Instagram post where you meet
00:48:50
Sophie Pasco yeah Dame Sophie um yeah
00:48:54
any role models or I don't know someone
00:48:56
asked me this the other day and like I
00:48:59
don't know like obviously there's like
00:49:00
so many amazing people out there like
00:49:03
blow my mind with like just their drive
00:49:06
and like
00:49:07
determination but I don't know no one
00:49:10
right now that like sticks out to me I
00:49:11
guess you just do you yeah yeah well I
00:49:15
mean you're going to be a role model to
00:49:16
a lot of other people you got such a
00:49:18
good attitude what what are you doing in
00:49:20
Oakland today you mentioned something
00:49:21
about an expo uh we're doing like a
00:49:22
disability Expo so I have a little stand
00:49:25
um so h OTS and physios and stuff come
00:49:28
through and it's just yeah show your
00:49:30
ability is what it's called so you just
00:49:32
kind of so just giv out fers and got
00:49:34
like a little TV with like slideshows of
00:49:36
what we do at the gym just to oh that's
00:49:39
cool so then people I guess the more
00:49:40
word is out there hopefully people will
00:49:42
like find you and find the help that
00:49:44
they need right are you you trying to
00:49:46
recruit another physio no no you
00:49:49
probably need some up your sleeve it
00:49:51
seems like you're been no my team is
00:49:55
good um how has uh oh what message would
00:49:59
you like to share with others about the
00:50:00
importance of
00:50:05
resilience I feel like resilience maybe
00:50:08
I could be completely wrong here but I
00:50:09
feel like it's something that you've
00:50:10
maybe just haven't sort of thought about
00:50:12
it's just sort of in your DNA yeah I
00:50:15
feel like you either have it or you
00:50:16
don't I guess you can get it but I don't
00:50:19
know
00:50:21
like why start saying that you don't
00:50:23
finish you know like um I don't know
00:50:27
yeah just just keep going like there's
00:50:29
always something worse out there yeah
00:50:32
that's so true that's so like any
00:50:34
situation there is that saying that um
00:50:36
you know comparison is the theft of Joy
00:50:38
um but if you compare down you don't
00:50:39
actually have to look too far to see
00:50:41
someone that's you know got a lot worse
00:50:44
um how has your perspective on life and
00:50:46
what's important changed since the
00:50:48
accident see it's weird like I still
00:50:50
live the standard life like I still
00:50:52
think like I found out we're having a
00:50:55
girl and I was like oh I'm going
00:50:56
shopping like I want to buy all these
00:50:59
cute things and I'm like why do I even
00:51:01
care like you know like everyone is this
00:51:05
I don't know I think like obviously I
00:51:07
you take your heal for granted and you
00:51:09
don't care about it until something goes
00:51:11
wrong
00:51:12
but yeah I don't know I think I'm
00:51:14
probably still the same I just hope that
00:51:16
I care about other people
00:51:17
more oh you definitely do like it's come
00:51:20
up a couple of times in this chat hasn't
00:51:22
it yeah like you know you've been
00:51:24
concerned about your parents and how
00:51:25
they'd react when they found out about
00:51:26
the
00:51:27
accident yeah oh what about your wedding
00:51:29
so the um when did you get
00:51:32
married oh I can't
00:51:36
remember 24th of March what year was it
00:51:39
2019 2019 so was the date already in
00:51:42
place like no so we were
00:51:44
like poor Mitch he was um he had asked
00:51:48
my dad if he could propose to me like
00:51:49
before my accident and then I had my he
00:51:52
hadn't done it and then I had my
00:51:53
accident so he proposed to me in the
00:51:54
hospital and then he was like like
00:51:56
always say something I don't even
00:51:58
remember I'm like you're lucky I said
00:52:00
yes but so then and then I didn't want
00:52:02
to get married until I could walk and
00:52:04
I'm like I'm not marrying you until I
00:52:05
can walk I want to walk down the aisle
00:52:07
um and then he started getting mad at me
00:52:09
so well okay we'll get him
00:52:10
married so I got told but I still walked
00:52:15
down the aisle um so that was cool did
00:52:18
you yeah how how did that look the
00:52:19
ceremony in the day so did did were you
00:52:21
um like held up by friends or did you
00:52:23
have frame or so I um this guy so I now
00:52:27
have these like splint what are they
00:52:29
called like kfo like leg braces pretty
00:52:32
much and this guy in the hospital so he
00:52:35
was like the most amazing guy he's
00:52:37
builds them and um he yeah made me these
00:52:40
braces and the night before my wedding
00:52:41
so my ones from they were coming from
00:52:43
Australia and they had in a Riven and he
00:52:46
was for the Friday night before my
00:52:47
wedding and he's like just come to the
00:52:49
hospital and I'll sort you out like I'm
00:52:52
not leaving it was like 9:00 at night
00:52:53
and he's still like we're at the
00:52:54
hospital and he's like making these
00:52:56
braak for my leg so I could walk down
00:52:58
the aisle it's like the sweet like he
00:53:00
gave up his his night and his like
00:53:02
family to like help me and it was yeah
00:53:03
so we on the night before we're
00:53:05
practicing like how to walk obviously
00:53:07
I've been doing it for reir but I wasn't
00:53:08
very good um so I had yeah a walking
00:53:11
frame and I got married at home so we um
00:53:14
my mom and dad were on either side of me
00:53:16
like holding the frame I think and then
00:53:18
I was waddling waddled my way down and
00:53:21
then I put them on like for the first
00:53:22
dance as well so I stood up yeah how do
00:53:25
you how do you feel when you watch the
00:53:26
video back of that I didn't video it it
00:53:28
was too cheap
00:53:30
what someone must have filmed it on
00:53:32
their phone I someone I've got photos
00:53:35
I'm like oh what a
00:53:39
budget but I like see I'm stoked I did
00:53:42
it like that was my thing I don't want
00:53:43
to get married until I walk so I was Stu
00:53:46
why why was that such a big thing for
00:53:48
you I think because I don't probably
00:53:51
didn't know like I don't know I didn't
00:53:53
want to be in my word I hat to be in my
00:53:54
w it was like embarrassing everyone
00:53:56
looks beautiful and stands up and I'm
00:53:58
like dumb and a worsh so like yeah I had
00:54:02
to who what do um obviously Mitch is um
00:54:07
super supportive
00:54:08
and it seems like he loves you
00:54:10
unconditionally so if you if you decided
00:54:12
to he some days yeah um what does he
00:54:16
feel about your dogged determination and
00:54:18
your reluctance to accept that that this
00:54:21
could be as good as it gets he's good
00:54:23
like he's always like keep pushing so
00:54:25
right now with just looking into I want
00:54:27
to get stem sales um so it's like 40
00:54:30
grand um and I have to go to America to
00:54:32
get it and I was I got no money so or
00:54:34
like we got no money so I need to get
00:54:36
your hard jump out from your what what
00:54:39
us down he you know there's no like No
00:54:42
Limit there's no like what to give it's
00:54:44
like sweet like oh cool I get to come to
00:54:45
America what did he say do I get to come
00:54:47
with you or he taking someone outse like
00:54:49
he's like he'll support me 100% with
00:54:52
whatever like yeah have you done some
00:54:55
travel since the accident where you
00:54:56
where have you been have you been on a
00:54:58
honeymoon or anything no we went to um
00:55:00
Queenstown yeah and did like some SK but
00:55:03
I think that would P him off like if I
00:55:05
wasn't like up for stuff that was when
00:55:07
he'd get mad at me so I did like the ski
00:55:10
down there like the sit ski down there
00:55:12
oh what's that so you like sit down on
00:55:15
one of those like it's very weird it's
00:55:17
like like a toboggan no no it's like on
00:55:20
skis and it's like got a seat on it and
00:55:22
you like St down the mountain can anyone
00:55:24
get one of those I don't know I
00:55:26
pretended so you had to like do like a
00:55:30
um course you how to do it at the
00:55:31
mountain and get like instructor to help
00:55:33
you and I was like oh so I was like
00:55:34
we'll just pretend that I've done it
00:55:35
before because I wanted to like do it I
00:55:37
I'm sure it'll be fine so we might
00:55:40
pretended to the guy there so because I
00:55:41
won't hire it to you like unless you
00:55:43
like properly go to the snow or whatever
00:55:45
like no no do it all the time like we
00:55:47
just live in the mount so we do it at
00:55:49
repo and then the guy like gave it to me
00:55:52
and then I like keep he's like I'll just
00:55:54
come with you for your first run I was
00:55:55
like okay I don't know how to [ __ ] to
00:55:56
do
00:55:57
it and then he like stayed with me then
00:56:00
he ended up staying with me all day he
00:56:01
was like I'll just hang out with you I
00:56:02
think he knew I like
00:56:05
sweet my God I think yeah out anything
00:56:10
you're a
00:56:12
liability oh this is amazing God your
00:56:15
family must be so proud no pretty good
00:56:18
yeah do they do they say that or you're
00:56:19
not one of those families that sort of
00:56:21
tell each other my mom and dad do like
00:56:23
my mom always writes me the cutest
00:56:24
birthday cards and she always WR
00:56:27
the sweetest little message but yeah
00:56:28
they do no I mean it's seriously
00:56:30
inspirational like the determination I
00:56:32
know yeah I've said it over and over
00:56:34
again but it is that's really inspiring
00:56:37
um yeah so what
00:56:41
next when are you hop to do the steam
00:56:43
cells as soon as I get my Ki saer
00:56:45
out so what's involved with that and
00:56:48
what's it likely to
00:56:49
do um so they pretty much like ivu so
00:56:53
they use umbilical cord oh sorry yeah
00:56:56
umbilical stem cells um so from someone
00:56:59
else and then they like insert you so
00:57:01
they do through like an IV and then they
00:57:03
do some into your spinal cord so you
00:57:05
want it to go around like the lesion um
00:57:08
and they just kind of pump it through so
00:57:10
it's hopefully I don't know how to
00:57:12
explain it it kind of like just helps
00:57:14
with like regeneration around like the
00:57:16
cells so um yeah like the lady was
00:57:19
pretty good like she was straight it's
00:57:20
like it's helps some people it doesn't
00:57:22
to some people we can't tell you um but
00:57:24
I need to do something more like I need
00:57:27
to add something like to what I'm doing
00:57:30
yeah just to try but then if you do that
00:57:33
and it there's no impact or whatever you
00:57:35
know are you are you depressed after
00:57:37
that are you sad no like I I'm kind of
00:57:40
like the
00:57:42
um PBO effect I think so I believe
00:57:46
enough I'm like okay it's doing
00:57:48
something um no I've got to try it I
00:57:51
know that it is maybe going to help or
00:57:54
it might not help I know it's not going
00:57:55
to make me walk like I'm not stupid um
00:57:58
but I've got to try it it's like the
00:58:00
next thing and then I know technolog is
00:58:02
changing and that's why I think as well
00:58:04
I'm so like hard out into my rehab
00:58:07
because if I did let my body like lose
00:58:10
my muscle tone lose my bone density and
00:58:12
all of that like it's not going to help
00:58:13
me in life and when like something does
00:58:16
come up I won't be like a good candidate
00:58:18
because of Fu you know yeah so you're in
00:58:22
the best possible shape you can be yeah
00:58:24
so yeah yeah you're um yeah how's your
00:58:27
upper body strength changed like what's
00:58:29
what have you noticed in your upper body
00:58:30
I noticed in your your chair you are
00:58:32
flying along uphill outside the
00:58:34
apartment um I think well I didn't
00:58:37
Motocross before so I was already like I
00:58:39
I want skinny
00:58:41
arms I don't think I'm going to get
00:58:42
skinny arms in a wheelchair but no I'm
00:58:45
pretty like strong I can do everything
00:58:48
yeah and and you're and your car so you
00:58:49
just drive yourself up from um pep MAA
00:58:52
yeah so it's all hand controlled yeah
00:58:55
and then I just take my cheer apart and
00:58:56
put it like beside me I hide it see it's
00:58:58
again I hide it in the back seat but
00:59:01
driving makes you feel so like free so I
00:59:03
like like a good drive um yeah I can S I
00:59:06
can still relate to what you're saying
00:59:07
so I feel like if if I was in your
00:59:09
position I'd be exactly the same like
00:59:11
I'm fiercely independent I hate relying
00:59:13
on anyone else for anything at all um
00:59:16
and I'd find that immensely
00:59:18
frustrating yeah um and yeah it's like
00:59:21
driving like take my chair apart and I
00:59:23
can do whatever I can get out where you
00:59:24
know it's just easy yeah your cheers
00:59:28
just outside the podcast room here um
00:59:31
the the passageway was too narrow to get
00:59:32
you in so I carried you in here you're
00:59:34
very light by the way you're very easy
00:59:36
to carry um but how was that you you
00:59:38
were okay with being carried that's not
00:59:40
embarrassing or see I'm not weirdo like
00:59:43
I and this what annoys me like some
00:59:45
people in wheelchairs like I don't know
00:59:47
if different situations and they had
00:59:49
different experiences I'm like go hard
00:59:51
do whatever you need to like picky B me
00:59:53
out those stairs or whatever it like I'm
00:59:54
not going to miss that out kind of thing
00:59:56
um and I understand like accessibility
00:59:59
is such like a big thing but I'm like
01:00:01
there's no way you can make like
01:00:03
everything accessible it's life like um
01:00:06
so I don't really care like as long as I
01:00:09
can be part of it it's all kind of that
01:00:11
matters um and people are so nice like
01:00:14
they're always willing to make things
01:00:15
work so I've never had like bad
01:00:18
experiences have you got a Mobility um
01:00:21
pass in you can yeah yeah oh so you are
01:00:24
accepting some of the
01:00:27
oh they would have come in hand at the
01:00:28
mall at Christmas time yes my work I was
01:00:31
like Miller like probably like the 23rd
01:00:34
of December he runs at work in the roads
01:00:36
of BU house I'm just going to go to Bay
01:00:38
here like who the [ __ ] goes to Bay here
01:00:39
on these days and they're like oh sorry
01:00:41
the privilege white girl that Parks
01:00:42
right outside I'm like yep get their
01:00:44
park like first Park typal see a little
01:00:48
photo yeah Welly I um can't thank you
01:00:52
enough for coming over today um I'm so
01:00:54
excited that you shared the news about
01:00:56
um starting a family as well and um I'm
01:00:59
so excited to see what the what the
01:01:00
future brings um you're just such a ray
01:01:03
of sunshine you're so positive you're
01:01:07
ins have we said you're
01:01:08
inspiring um I think you're very
01:01:10
inspiring and um anyone that's in your
01:01:13
life your husband your family and your
01:01:14
friends they're they bloody likeing to
01:01:15
heav
01:01:16
you I don't know if that say the same
01:01:19
was oh yeah I'm sure some days they
01:01:21
wen't I'm sure some days you're an
01:01:23
absolute Nightmare and there's probably
01:01:24
like about 30 physios that you're fired
01:01:26
that would agree um but yeah Casey Casey
01:01:29
Brady formerly waterhous um thank you so
01:01:32
much for coming over today and sharing
01:01:34
your experiences and your time and um
01:01:37
good luck for the future whatever it
01:01:38
brings thank you so much thanks for
01:01:40
having me it's finally nice to meet you
01:01:42
I've listened to you my whole life he
01:01:44
runs oh there is her I like
01:01:47
yeah that I give you a little
01:01:49
Fame I'll take it I'll take it no thank
01:01:52
you for having me
01:01:56
[Music]
01:02:00
n
01:02:01
[Music]
