Julian

Hi, I’m Julian from Sydney. I’m 35 years old and all my life have been quite active. As a kid I played soccer and practiced martial arts. In my mid-twenties I spent a year in Canada snowboarding.

Seven years ago I was still playing AFL when I had to give it up at the end of the season because running started becoming quite hard. At the time I just put it down to getting old. It took another three years till a doctor correctly picked that I had some sort of neurological issue going on.

Today I walk short distances with two walking sticks and longer distances with a mobility scooter. It took me a while to come to terms with my condition, and in many ways I still am, but what I think has been important is having a supportive network of family, friends and wonder woman for a girlfriend.

Adapting the things I love to do, letting go of the things I can no longer, and finding new passions has been important.

We love to travel and recently got back from a week driving around the whole of Tasmania. Earlier in the year we visited Bali where I went scuba diving with a school that caters for those with disabilities. Travel, like most things these days, is a bit more effort but with a bit of forward planning and research it can be done!