Chats From A Chair

In this episode I speak with Avalon, who is a sex worker specialising in servicing people with high care needs and physical disabilities. She tells us how and why she got into the sex work industry, shares some of her experiences of servicing people with physical disabilities and gives her advice for able bodied people and people with disabilities looking to engage in sexual activity.

In this episode, I speak with army veteran Matina Jewell, who shares her experiences from an active war zone. We discuss her rapid rise up through the army ranks, her active service where she completed intense training such as the incredibly demanding Navy divers course, fast roped from helicopters on-board smuggler ships in the Arabian gulf and served as a UN peacekeeper in an active war zone as...

In this episode I speak with fellow quadriplegic, Tony Pinto who sustained a spinal cord injury whilst on holidays. He shares the details of his injury which he remembers very vividly, the struggles he has with his new identity, he opens up about his decision to engage with a sex worker to explore his new body and his decision to move to Australia to pursue a cure.

In this episode I speak with NRL superstar, Xavier Coates as we discuss how he almost gave up playing rugby league, his unique pathway into the NRL, his decision to move from the Brisbane Broncos down to the Melbourne Storm, backlash he received after deciding to represent Australia rather than Papua New Guinea, as well as other challenges he's experience throughout his career.

In this episode I speak with Brooke Colless and her son Kai, who is a wheelchair user following a very rare spinal condition. We discuss the nomadic lifestyle the family were living, the concerning progression of Kai's condition, the day he tried to stand up and was paralysed, as well as the way that he is now dominating the adaptive surfing world.

In this episode, I speak with Chanelle Morris who has a rare eye condition that leaves her with around 30% vision. We explore the ways that impacts her day-to-day, dating with a disability and her change in mindset that has enabled her to live a more fulfilling and adventurous life.

In this episode I speak with former AFL player, Max Lynch who had to retire at just 24 years old due to ongoing concussion issues. Max opens up and shares the immediate affects that the head knocks had on him, his emotions around retiring from the AFL, some of the ways it has impacted his life behind close doors including the way it affected relationships with loved ones and how he feels about it...

*This Episode Contains Discussion Around Mental Health* In this episode, I speak with Australian swimmer, Shayna Jack as she opens up about a ban she received from all competition for ingesting a band substance. We discuss how the positive drug test came about, the battles she faced behind close doors, how close she came to giving up swimming forever and what the future holds for her in an out of...

In this episode I speak with world renowned photographer, Jarrad Seng as he shares how he was able to turn a hobby into a very successful career. Jarrad recounts some of the amazing adventures he's been on with a camera in his hand, an exciting new project that he's working on now, as well as sharing some life lessons he's learnt along the way that we can all apply to our own lives.

In this episode I speak with joint 2019 Australian of the year, Dr Richard Harris, OAM, who you might know as the anaesthetist and cave diver that played a pivotal role in the rescue of the Thai soccer team that became trapped in a flooded cave in 2018. I speak with him about how he came to be involved in the rescue efforts, the risks associated with the sedating the young boys and diving them out...

In this episode I speak with brothers Tom and Kell Reese or as they're better known on Instagram and TikTok, the Reese Bros. These two have amassed over 800,000 followers across the two platforms and have over 38.5 million likes on TikTok alone with their very funny and relatable skits. I speak with them about how all this started, how they come up with ideas for their videos, explore some of...

In this episode I speak with great mates Sam Harrison and Henry Bradford as they each share their own stories and one that brings them together. Sam discusses his unhealthy relationship with alcohol, how he battled that as a professional athlete and recounts events that led to him deciding to become sober. Henry shares the story that left him on the ground and unable to move his legs for a period...

In this episode I speak with my two older brothers about the night of my accident and my disability as a whole. We recount the events leading up to my injury, we explore the way it has impacted them, what they have seen of me from the outside and how they view my disability now. As we have never spoken about this, you get a first hand and very real view of our relationship.

WARNING – This episode contains discussions around suicide and mental health. In this episode I speak with the founder of 'The Shaka Project', Sean Phillip. Sean speaks openly and honestly about his own mental health battles that lead to him making multiple attempts to take his own life, and how he was able to turn his battle into a positive men's mental health movement. He details...

In this episode I speak with Corey Webb as he opens up about the unique experience of cancer within his family. He shares the emotional ups and downs as his Dad went through cancer treatment, the journey that led to his own diagnosis, and how the family were able to support each other through the tough battle. 

I speak with Perry Cross AM as he shares details on the incident that resulted in him now being a C2 ventilated quadriplegic, the amazing list of things he has achieved since, his passion behind starting the PerryX Foundation and their work to find a cure for paralysis, as well as details of the time his ventilator stopped working while overseas.

In this episode, Cristy Jacka shares her families journey around a missed diagnosis of her late husband, Karl. She recounts the events leading to Karl's correct diagnosis, how she was able to be strong for their daughter, the way they continue Karl's legacy today and stresses the importance of knowing your body.

In this episode we speak with sisters, Allison and Sally Wilcox as they share their incredible journey. Allison shares details of how she sustained a spinal cord injury in 2009 following a traumatic accident, the ongoing health complications since her injury and Sally opens up on the impact it has had on her seeing her little sister battle. We also discuss the further family tragedies they have fa...

We chat with Makayla Jensen as she shares the story of her brother Beau following his acquired brain injury. Beau suffered a hypoxic brain injury following an accident in the surf that saw him almost drown. Makayla shares her experience from the day of Beau's accident, what the weeks and months following have look like for the family, a heartwarming story of how his mates have continued to su...

We speak with actor, Marny Kennedy about how having an older brother on the autism spectrum has influenced her and her family's life, the challenges they faced and some of the things Marny still struggles with today today. We chat about how her relationship with Braeden differs to that of other siblings and how they have been able to achieve more than many thought possible as a family.

In this episode we chat with support worker and founder of CareMatch Australia, Vitori Buatava. Vitori has been a support worker for over 13 years so we discuss with him how he became a carer, how he perceives his job compared to how others may think of it and we talk about what lead him to start his own care company.

 WARNING: This episode contains discussions around suicide and mental health. In this episode we chat with Ebony Stirling–Gatt, a brave and resilient person who shares with us how she overcame the challenge of losing her mum to suicide at a young age. We explore her childhood and the time leading up to the tragedy as well as the years following, how she dealt with the situation and tactics she fou...

In this episode we chat with Will O’Dwyer, boyfriend of Alexa Leary who sustained a brain injury after a biking accident. You might know her story from the Instagram page @moveforLex. We chat with Will about how he’s been able to stay so strong and positive by Lex’s side in the time since her injury, how their life together looks at the moment and what the future holds for them.

In this episode we speak with Candy, wife of Heath who suffered a spinal cord injury over 15 years ago. The first few years for the couple were extremely tough for the couple trying to navigate the new life whilst raising a new baby. We discuss what the darkest days looked like, how Heath injury changed her life and how the couple were able to come out the other side stronger than ever and go on t...

In this episode we speak with Brigid Kelly and her incredibly inspiring sister, Katie Kelly. Katie was diagnosed with usher syndrome which affects both eyesight and hearing with it slowly degenerating over time. Despite this Katie won a gold medal at the Paralympics in Rio in the triathlon while tethered to a guide, she has received the Order of Australia Medallion, started a foundation that gives...