25 May 2010 post Quiz Night

Given some time to reflect on the events of this weekend, we are still in awe of the support from the Quiz night. As we mentioned on the night, 1000 people showing us that we aren't going through this alone.

The days leading up to the quiz night, those around us were asking if we were excited, and to be honest, we were very anxious about what the evening was going to entail. Considering we were hesitant on the whole quiz night idea when it was going to be 200 people. It is safe to say we are blown away.

Simon has a knack of making people feel comfortable around him, and that is a testament to his attitude towards life. Because at the end of the day, that's what we have to be grateful for...life.

There were so many of you keen on having a drink and chat with Simon and although many only got a brief chat, we know we will be having more than just one drink with you all in the future.

Although Wynnie has the gift of the gab, he was giving it his all in the Auction and almost lost his voice. Meaning those thousands of cards he keeps handing out with his mug on it would be rendered useless =) Andrew Wynne was fantastic, not only on the night, but leading up to it all, he has been so supportive and genuinely caring towards our family. Thanks for all the hard work Wynnie.

When he approached us about sitting down with us on stage to talk about certain parts of our life, we immediately started to type away our little speeches. Not at any point did we realise that when 2000 ears are hanging on to every word you say, all the words you had prepared, seem to go...

For the parts we were able to get out and the parts we missed, we would like to take this opportunity to show you what Simon and I compiled for the speech portion of the evening. The bold is Simon's wording and the rest is mine.

Holly shit you don’t realise how many people are here until you get up here. Thanks a lot for coming tonight, Marina and I really appreciate it. You have all shown us so much compassion, generosity and moral support that we will forever be indebted to you all.

Nights like these don’t just happen you need someone to bring things together so I would like to thank myself for breaking my neck. It’s amazing the things you can do or get when you’re in a wheelchair for example. Nuts and I got bumped up 100 spots in the waiting list to get full membership to the WACA, I would like to thank Mal Par for helping with that. The other bonus is that I get to park basically inside the shopping centres with my special blue permit.


We would like to thank all organisations, businesses, and friends of friends, that have donated not only the auction items, wines and food available tonight, but also for their time in organising stages, microphones, and all the other little bits and pieces that have made tonight come together.

Thanks to Ryan for organising all the technical side of things tonight, I’m not too sure about the big screens mate.

Thank you to all at Cottesloe Golf Course, who have provided peace of mind throughout this turmoil, especially Brad & Des. Finally my handicap may be a bit better than yours Brad. To my Boys in the shed and to Crossy and the Mt Lawley boys, thank you for making our lawn at home green. Now Marina's expectations have been set too high, good on ya!

Thanks to others in the Golfing Industry for your support, for visiting me and for keeping me in the loop with what’s been happening. Especially Stevo from Toro for helping in the organisation of tonight and for donating and customising a buggy for me to continuing working at Cott. Thanks to Gazza from Dickies, who I blame for the decline of my tab account and for all his donations for tonight’s auctions. Especially the ones that didn’t quite make it here tonight.

To the 4 mums at Glengarry Primary School, Ruth, Richelle, Cath & Katrinio. Friends for life who treat our children as their own and for that we will be eternally grateful.

To the crew at Shenton Park who put up with my constant ability to give shit and for stealing all of my lollies. I know you will all struggle once my stay there is over, but I also know that I have made some good friends. I never want to hear the words "red keys" again.

To Hayley, my friend and my right hand girl. She looks after my business as if it where her own. She even has the moxie to order me around, but allows me to focus all my energy on my family, Thank you.

To our lifelong friends who have been there for us in a way that can only described as being like family. Most will need to be nicknames to make it easier. Kel & Troy, Ditch & Brea, Macca, Maz, Happy, Coops & Tanya, Jade, Birdy & Sasha, Tam, the Michaels, the Halls, the Cunninghams, the Kirkbrides, the Balls, the Sanders, Whitey from Danmar Homes, Rourkey, the members at the Sorrento Duncraig Cricket Club and North Beach Footy Club. Thankyou

Alan, Brad & Darryn....also fondly knows as Knelly, Nuts & Nails. Simon has known Knelly since he was 4, they played tee ball together, they went to school together, and still today they are best mates. What you have done for us Alan, I can only ever offer a lifetime of dinners to come close to repaying you. I was going to say leaves me speechless...but as if that is ever going to happen. Not only are you Simon's best mate you are mine too. And of course Nuts & Nails, thick as thieves, but they are brothers in arms who treat Simon as one of their brothers. The effort put in to tonight has been nothing short of amazing! Thank you to the three of you for the countless man hours in sorting out our lives in the past 3 months, I am sure your boss will be glad when you get your working week back up to around the normal 15 hours you used to do. If only you listened to Simon about this quiz night being something small.

To my sister Vicky, if it wasn't for Vicky's love, persistence, attention to detail and organisation skills, I know tonight would not be what it is. She is an amazing woman who feels Marina's pain as if they are identical twins. For everything that you do, thank you, we love you. And to Peter, our brother, who firstly has put up with Vicky's attention being elsewhere, for coming in almost every day to help me with the iPhone and for also providing Marina with those crucial and very strong ouzo & cokes on the first few nights.

To my parents and brother, there aren't many people that you let see you at your worst. I think there was a few good weeks where I appeared to resemble a homeless women with a combination of bipolar and turrets! You put up with so much, provide us with immense support with our children but also put up with the quick drop offs, dinners, the bad days, and the ones to remember...the good days! Thank you so much, we love you.

To my parents and brother. You never expect something like this to happen, but it has, and as a father, I couldn't imagine seeing my child go through something like this. Thank you for all the encouragements and staying strong for me. We all love you.

To you, my husband. I would like to thank you for begging me to be your girlfriend 14years ago. Knowing how easily it could have been much worse for us, I thank god you are still here with me today.

I recall one of our bad days, and as we looked at each other in despair, I turned to you and told you that, no matter what, we will get through this. I hope you remember on that day you said that I am always right, the proof is right here right now.

We have always had the same dream for our family from the moment we met. Get married young, have kids young, get them out young and enjoy the ride before grandchildren occupy our senior years. That perfect picture hasn't changed. The only difference is that we go through this journey together as a stronger force and remember, I am always right.



Accidents like the one I had, can and do happen so easily, I still can’t believe it has happened. They can also show you how mates can come together, everyone of you are amazing and have helped in my recovery in different ways.

I would like to share a moment of mate ship when I first got to Royal Perth. I was a mess and I wasn’t coping with the thought of being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and one of my good mates Happy came in to visit. As he left, he gave me his chain with a pendent of Saint Anthony. He tried to be tough and hide his love for a mate and left with a quick good bye. A few minutes later I rang him to find out why he gave me his chain. He said that it was his grandmothers and it represents strength and courage and it helped her. So thanks mate you’re a legend, but you already know that, because you always tell everyone that you are.

The main reason I am doing so well at my recovery is because of my beautiful wife. Marina has been a tower of strength, not only has she been worried about me and wanting to spend as much time at the hospital, but she has had to keep the household running and been both mother and father to our two girls. All this and she still gets time to write so creatively on the blog. There are no words to describe how proud and honoured I am to be her husband, she is amazing. Bottom line if you’re going to do something stupid like breaking your neck makes sure you have a wife like I have.

To have a look at the photos from the evening please click on the following link:
http://gallery.atomikarts.com/categories/perths-social-scene