I was born in early 1960's, Perth, Western Australia, with cerebral palsy (athetoid).  After leaving Hollywood Senior High School in 1979, I worked as an Assistant Personnel / Welfare Office in a Sheltered Workshop.  I eventually completed by Bachelor of Arts (psychology / computer science) and then Bachelor of Psychology (1987) degree from University of Western Australia.  Frustrated by lack of opportunities in the Rehabilitation Counselling field I went to live and work in the United Kingdom for a number of years.  I met my wife Catherine through sports - we both enjoyed swimming.

I had my fair share of gold medals representing both Australia and Great Britain Internationally in swimming.  I retired in 1990 (due to bad shoulder injury) after getting 4 Gold Medals and breaking two World Records for freestyle at the World Championships in Assen, Holland that year.

Most of my professional working career has been spent in the disability employment field with an overlap into Information Technology due to my interest in computers.  I have worked for the private sector and both local and state Government, and I also run two businesses: Ability Awareness and AByte4You Computer Solutions Pty Ltd.

We currently live in Queensland with our two "girls" Zosha and Zena - they are German Shepards just incase you were wondering!  I am very passionate about disability access and equity issues.

After leaving High School mid 1985, I started to show an interest in the swimming pool, and by 1988 I was training for the Seoul Paralympics.   I won a Silver medal in the 100m Backstroke and for my efforts was named Gold Coast Disabled Athlete of the Year and Sporting Wheelies most improved Disabled Athlete of the Year.

In 1989 I competed at a World Championships held in Nottingham England where she won six Gold and one Silver in one day.  This was were I started up a friendship with my future husband - not that he knew it then, but I did!

Early in 1992 I was given a Queensland Academy of Sport scholarship to assist with training costs leading up to the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, were I won Gold as a member of the 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay.  I went to live - yes mum in sin - with my future husband in the United Kingdom.  When we returned to Australia to get married in 1993 I was named in the Queens Birthday Honours List and received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for my services to sport.

Recently I have been involved in a number of consumer advisory groups for people with disabilities.  We have two lovely "girls" and enjoy living in Queensland.