Gloucester Rotary Club members and their guests were recently treated to an inspirational address from Paralympic gold medal winner and world champion wheelchair basketball player, Brett Stibners OAM.
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About 60 people gathered at Gloucester Bowling Club on Tuesday, February 6, to listen to Brett's speech detailing his personal journey of overcoming setbacks and along the way making his mark on the world's sporting stage.
According to Gloucester Rotary vocational committee member, Ernie Abeysekera, Brett's ability to turn adversity into something positive made him an ideal guest speaker.
"Rotary is continually looking for speakers who can encourage community members - young people particularly - to better themselves," Ernie said.
"Brett was able to turn around a very bad situation to a real positive and he's trying to make people aware of how they can change their lives if something like this does happen and to make the best of life."
A sporting life
Growing up in Oak Flats near Shellharbour, sport had always been an integral part of Brett Stibners' life, having represented Oak Flats High School in cricket and rugby league as a student.
In 2001 he achieved a major ambition when he was selected as a member of the Australian men's national indoor hockey team.
Just three days after being picked for the national team, Brett experienced a micro sleep while driving his work van that resulted in a head on collision with a truck.
He suffered severe injuries from the accident, including the amputation of his left leg from above the knee.
In an interview for NSW government service agency, icare, Brett described the experience as life changing.
"I found it very, very difficult to sort of be a normal person again, because everything in my life had been taken away," Brett said.
"So you're talking depression, anxiety; I wasn't very nice to be around at that time."
Finding a Way Back
Fortunately, he was introduced to wheelchair basketball which provided him with a new focus and a means to take back control of his life.
Brett went on to represent Australia in the sport, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympic games in Beijing, silver at the London Paralympics, gold in the 2010 world championships, and a bronze in the 2006 and 2018 world championships.
In 2009 Brett received a Medal of the Order of Australia Medal for service to sport.
During his speech for the Gloucester Rotary engagement, Brett repeatedly emphasised the dangers of driving while fatigued; a message close to his heart. It's a message Rotary is keen to support through driver education.
"Rotary has in the past had a school's program for 17 to 18-year-olds in high school so that we can teach them to drive safely and have an attitude of safety when they're driving," Ernie said.
