Australians who are saying yesiCAN...
- The person’s name, basic details on who they are
- Issues faced
- Their achievement(s)
- A brief outline of their lives and
- Links to additional information
Adam Goodes
- Adam Goodes. Indigenous Australian, rugby league footballer. Born 8.1.1980 -
- Discrimination, racism, shattered family life,
- Australian of the year 2014, Brownlow medallist (AFL) and has represented Australia internationally, Co founder of “Go Foundation” encouraging Indigenous youth to aim high and become role models themselves.
- Lisa Goodes, Adam’s mum was used to “doing it tough” by the time he was born on January 8 1980 in Wallaroo South Australia. His life as a lad was far from easy. At 4 his parents separated followed by an abusive relationship. His mum sacrificed heavily to provide a good education for her boys. On his first day at high school some boys offered him a joint. He rejected it in favour of kicking an odd shaped football with a mate at lunch time. It turned out to be a pivotal decision – the ball was a Sherrin AFL football. Adam fell in love with it and his future was born. At 17 he was waiting with his mum at the airport for his flight to Sydney to begin his career with the Sydney Swans. His mum said, “This is the start of great things to come. Don’t forget to bring Mama home a Brownlow”. In time he would bring home not just one but 2 Brownlow medals – the sought after Best and Fairest Player award. Adam has a philosophy about achieving goals, “I think it’s about how much you want something. How much you want to sacrifice to get the best out of yourself”. He tries to live his life by reaching his potential. “You try not to make that bad decision again”. “Everybody has choices but it’s about how you learn from those choices”.
- http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/adam-goodes-and-the-matter-of-choice/story-e6frg6z6-1226803843977?nk=522f20c554213954b69dbab0d9dd5674 / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Goodes
Nick Vujicic
- Nick Vujicic. Serbian Australian. Born,1982 in Melbourne Australia.
- Born without arms and legs with ‘tetra-amelia.syndrome’.
- Overcame huge physical incapacity. International motivational speaker. Founded, ‘Life Without Limbs’ to encourage people dealing with disabilities.
- Nick Vujicic, a remarkable man, struggled as young person emotionally and physically with the absence of all 4 limbs, but by 17 he came to terms with his incapacities and founded his own non-profit motivational organisation called ‘Life Without Limbs’. His focus is on life with a disability, stirring hope and finding meaning in life. His belief is – ‘That God is big enough to overcome any disability and can use any willing heart to do his work’. Nick overcame his limitations with courage and faith. Nick’s battle with adversity brought him to the point of suicide as a 10 year old – thankfully unsuccessful. At 15 he came to faith in Jesus Christ and his life did a U turn. In his teen years he was elected captain of Runcorn High School Queensland and worked with the Student Council in fundraising events for local charities and disability campaigns. Today Nick speaks to vast numbers of people all over the world, both disabled and able bodied, encouraging them to look beyond their disabilities to their abilities and possibilities In 2012 Nick married his beautiful wife Kanae, a Japanese/Mexican girl. They have a son named, Kiyashi James Vujicic. Some of his statements are: “It’s a lie to think that you’re not good enough – that you’re not worth anything”. “Attitude is altitude”. “Dream big my friend and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace the positive attitudes, perspectives, principles and truths I share, and you too will overcome’
- http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/about-nick-his-story / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Vujicic
Professor Graham Clark.
- Professor Graham Clark. Australian. Born- 1935 in Camden NSW Australia
- Able bodied but his father was profoundly deaf.
- Invented and developed the world’s first Bionic Ear – the Cochlear Implant.
- At 10 years old young Graham was greatly concerned about the struggles his father had with deafness, being locked into a world of silence. This ignited his determination to find a way to help his father hear. In 1967 while working as an ear surgeon in Melbourne Australia a seemingly impossible idea stirred in his mind – an implantable electronic device connected to the Cochlear – the spiral shaped key part of the inner ear. He imagined that hearing might be reproduced if the damaged or underdeveloped ear was bypassed and the hearing nerve electrically stimulated to reproduce the coding of sound. Clark resolved ‘to never give up on finding a way to help the profoundly deaf hear’ and in 1978 the first Cochlear device was implanted – and it worked! He said, “In spite of problems and criticism, I just had to go on. A Cochlear implant was their only hope of ever hearing”. Professor Clark’s Cochlear Implant devices have given the gift of hearing to over 120.000 of profoundly deaf people around the world. The world of hearing is now being opened to children as well. His training in both Australia and England was all undertaken with the purpose of finding answers to deafness. In addition The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation helps Cochlear recipients around the world to with scholarships to help with the costs education. The Graeme Clark Charitable Foundation helps people with deafness or other sensory disorders reach their potential through appropriate biomedical, technological and educational measures. A few of his honours are: 2011 Florey Medal; 2010 Lister Medal; 2007 Australian Father of the Year award; 2004 Fellow of the Royal Society of London; 1999 Companion of the Order of Australia award (AC); 1997 Officer of the Order of Australia award (AO).
- https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-graeme-clark / http://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/au/about/company-history/about-graeme-clark