cycling

  • When I first learnt to cycle, it was like the city I’d lived in all my life became unlocked. While I’ve certainly always enjoyed the natural beauty of Sydney – my newfound ability to ride has given me the chance to immerse myself in the outdoors in a way that’s entirely new. I have the…

  • A little update about tech that keeps me safely on the road, and feeling more empowered after learning to repair a small component of my trike myself. Getting down on the ground to do repairs is somewhat tricky with cerebral palsy, and my trike is pretty heavy – it weighs about 30 kg. As a…

  • In the lead-up to World CP Day (6 October) I was invited to speak as part of Cerebral Palay Alliance’s 80 year celebration event, Stories That Made Us – 80 Years of Advocacy & Action. My talk centred around reflections about growing up as a member generation X and the importance of discovering community connection…

  • I was recently invited to speak at the Inner West Disability Forum to contribute to discussions about updates to the NDIS. I was lucky to speak alongside Anita from Self Manager Hub who are really leading the way in community information sharing and advocacy at a time of great change. A representative from the NDIA…

  • I was raised not to think of myself as different. My parents sent me to a progressive primary school so I wouldn’t be singled out for my physical differences. While I couldn’t do everything that other kids could do – like walk fast, or run, or ride a bike – for the most part I…

  • I recently did a Q&A with BikeWise Australia who asked, “What’s your favourite bike bling?” This question was a chance for me to reflect on the bike riding accessories – fashionable and otherwise – that help keep me safe when I’m out and about on my rides. My ground zero piece of ‘bike bling’ was…

  • One of the main reasons I wanted a trike was rather practical and mundane: to do my weekly shop. Although l was entirely comfortable with my routine of buying groceries for one or two meals at a time and bringing them home on public transport, this certainly had its limitations. Post-trike, the idea of waiting…

  • Nothing special? How TrikeBoy was born aged 46

    In the midst of COVID lockdown, I learnt a new skill. That sounds like nothing special; everywhere you turned during lockdown, people were posting about their culinary exploits, learning a new language or, let’s face it, eating and drinking more and watching TV. But my COVID trick was learning to ride a bike at the…