Published on Monday, 25 May 2026 at 10:24:51 AM

How long have you been coming to Beatty Park?

I've been coming to Beatty Park for years.

I used to come here when I was single figures I reckon, with my brother and sister. Mum would take us here; we'd sit on the grass out the old back area and we'd have a ball.

And then over the years, just on and off, but it's always been a part of my little life here in the area.

I’m thankful I found Beatty again. I've got my sister and my niece and nephew directly across the road, who I adore like my own. So I jump over and visit them, I see them here. I grew up around here so I see other people I know.

It's like the best little community that I know near and far around Perth, I love it.

What parts of the centre do you use?

I started out just using the pool. I was doing laps; I swam before my accident. Found the gym and the sauna a bit later and just got hooked on it.

Before my accident I didn’t do any gym training. My whole life I always thought; not for me, the gym, you know, all the guys presenting and stuff in there sometimes, but Beatty Park is different. I just love it. Made heaps of friends here.

What makes the biggest difference for you in the gym?

The best thing I've found in the gym is the ergo bike.

It just gives me so much wind and I've always got that in my thoughts when I get on it.

I don't like to get on it because it's such hard work; I get off there so sweaty and almost embarrassed. Then I say to myself “hang on, it's a gym mate, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Outside of coming here, what else are you into?

I've always been big into Aussie rules football. My team is Fremantle.

I was an Eagle, like all the people in the West back in the day. But when Fremantle came in, I've got these allegiances that go back further in the family on both sides, on Mum's side and Dad's side for East Fremantle.

About two years back, I went to a WAFL game where East Fremantle was playing West Perth, and the CEO, unbeknownst to me, of East Fremantle came down and had a chat with me at half time and goes, “East Fremantle is starting a wheelchair football team”. I didn't know wheelchair football even existed.

I was like, jumping all over him, you know, going “Well, where do I sign? When can I come down?”

I've been playing that for two years, for my WAFL club. It’s my dream to have played football for East Fremantle, which I never was good enough to do. But now I'm playing for the wheelchair side.

Our CEO (former East Fremantle player Adrian Bromage) who was like my idol growing up, he comes up and chats to me when I go down there and watch the games on the weekend and he also comes to our wheelchair games.

What message do you have for anyone getting into health and fitness?

Get into it, at any time in your life. But if you hit 40, for me anyway, it was pretty much on my birthday at turning 40, I started to get the grey hairs and I started to not be able to push up hills. You know, started to get hair grow where I didn't want it.

Fitness is a big part of staving that off. All these good people here and a good attitude all around, it's like your own; it's like your own psych coming here. Mental health side of it's huge. But the physical health side of it, especially for me in a wheelchair.  But keeping fit just makes it so much easier.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more feel-good stories, and if you'd like to recommend a worthy member, email us at [email protected]

Back to All News