A wheelchair hasn't stopped Chad Graham from doing most of the things that a young man would do, including water skiing, rowing and target shooting, so it's certainly not going to stop him driving across Australia.
Chad, 23, from Winmalee, will take off in August to travel from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Cobar in western NSW. He will be driving all the way in his off-road buggy and camping out under the stars.
The trip is partly to prove that being in a wheelchair doesn't have to stop anyone from living a normal life.
But the other main goal is to raise money for his charity, Roll 101, which helps other young people affected by catastrophic injuries or by chronic or terminal illness.
Chad became an incomplete quadriplegic in 2007 after an accident on his bike at a friend's property. He was 16 years old.
He spent 10 months in rehab, during which time the Starlight Foundation offered to grant him a wish. They set up a meeting with his hero, motor bike champion Casey Stoner, at Phillip Island Motor GP, which was the best weekend ever, he said.
Since then, Chad has tried to put a positive attitude on everything he does. His experiences also spurred him on to start Roll 101.
"Ever since I ended up in a wheelchair, you learn along the way and ... you don't know what goes on until you actually have to deal with it. There is no help to provide things that you need so it's pretty expensive. I am just lucky that I've got my dad."
Peter Graham has used his handyman skills to great effect, converting a bicycle to a hand crank exercise machine for his son to work out on, modifying a van so he can drive, and making him a water ski so he can still indulge his love of that sport.
It has saved the family thousands of dollars.
"We know how expensive it is," said Peter. The hand crank machine would have cost $15,000 to buy and a car with hand controls would have set them back $80,000.
It provided the impetus to set up the Roll 101 organisation.
Peter Graham said they looked at other charities but so much money seemed to go on administration costs. "So we started up our own," he said. "We've got good people behind us. Everyone is donating time and money and the whole aim is as best as possible to give it all to the recipients."
The cross-country trip has been two years in the planning and is completely self-funded. The Grahams are travelling with two other families, who will help provide support as well as having a great adventure, which will include a detour to the Birdsville races.
"Ever since I hurt myself and I got to the point of being able to drive my buggy, I've wanted to go across Australia," said Chad. "I'm just excited and ready to do it. I would rather be out there than anywhere else in the world."
Roll 101 will be holding a fundraising night on May 23 at Penrith Paceway. For details see www.roll101.com.au.
