After a 7 hour operation the doctors could only get 50% of the tumour since most of it was in my brain stem. If they had tried to get more at the time, they could have risked paralysis. Fortunately the tumour was found to be benign, however it was a Grade 2, which means it could become malignant at a later stage.

"I spent the next 3 weeks in hospital slowly recovering."

One great memory during this time in hospital was lying in my hospital bed on my 16th birthday with the whole of Year 11 singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me over the phone.

I was left with constant nausea, double vision and weakness mainly down my left side. I had to wear a patch over one eye to help with the double vision. This was corrected a year later with an operation.

By May, only 3 months after my first operation, it was decided that I needed radiotherapy but first I had to have more brain surgery to help reduce the tumour. This time I recovered a lot quicker and so was able to have the radiotherapy straight after the 2nd operation.

"I had the radiotherapy over a 7 week period"

and this left me feeling very sick and a staggering 25kg lighter. I lost some of my hair but it soon grew back. It took me a long time to get over the nausea.

Towards the end of the year when I was feeling a little better I took up swimming to help with my recovery. I always used to love sport but I never excelled at it. I didn’t realise that this was due to the tumour causing weakness in my muscles and balance & coordination problems. I found that I loved the swimming and this laid the groundwork for new opportunities in disabled swimming.

"I didn’t know what the future would hold"

but I decided to make the most of every opportunity that God put in front of me. I went all the way to Swimming Nationals at a very fast rate winning many Gold medals and trophies along the way.

"Another sport that I enjoy is football."

I play in my local team but at the beginning of 2009, I was actually asked to join the National Paralympic Football Team. I got to compete in the World Championships later that year in The Netherlands where I got to score my first international goal.

I have been continually amazed at the opportunities that God has opened up for me in the last 4 years. I have been fortunate to do well in each sport that I have tried since my diagnosis, so, following my success at swimming, I decided to give athletics a go and have found this to be my true passion.

For some reason I have done exceptionally well in athletics, exceeding all expectations. Over the last 3 years, I have won nearly all of my events up to and including National level and have achieved many new records along the way. I am now a member of the Australian Paralympic squad and got to compete at the World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand in January 2011.

"My ultimate dream is to represent Australia at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London."

Unfortunately, I have had a minor setback. My latest MRI has shown that my tumour has started to regrow. So, once again, I don’t know what the future will hold but I will take each day as it comes knowing that God has his hand on me and will help me through.

I have to start low-dose chemotherapy in April, when I get back from Athletics Nationals. I have been told that I should have little or no side effects and so hopefully this will be the case.

"I decided to do my final year at school via the Pathways Program"

which allowed me to complete my HSC studies over an extended time frame. This gave me the opportunity to pursue my pastimes of swimming, athletics and football, along with my other commitments. I have now completed high school and am doing a Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Administration which is also on a part time basis.

My aim is to now try and do my best at sport to show other people that you can still achieve things even with a disability. In doing this, I hope to encourage other young people with disabilities to get out there and give things a go.

I want to make them aware of what’s available to them. I am hoping to use my degree to do just that. My aim is to work with kids with a disability. I hope to show them that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

"I hope to inspire others not to give up."

My favourite quote is, Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful - Joshua J Marine.    

Over the past years, since my diagnosis, I have had wonderful support from family and friends. I could not have got through the tough times without them.

Throughout this whole time, my achievements have turned into God’s miracles in my life. God has turned a devastating event into many blessings for me and hopefully the lives that I have touched.