Michael Whitehead

Up until the age of six, I was an able-bodied child — a capable soccer player and a diligent student. However, my life changed irrevocably shortly thereafter. Growing up in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, I suffered a devastating fall from a cliff in our backyard on Christmas Eve. My next memory is waking in a hospital bed, unable to move the right side of my body or speak. I remember seeing my parents in tears, unable to understand the depth of their sorrow. The prognosis was grim: doctors informed us that I would likely never walk again. I spent the first three months of the following year confined to a hospital bed and a wheelchair. I was diagnosed with right-sided hemiplegia — a condition I later came to know by the term ‘hemi.’ Though classified as an acquired brain injury (ABI), my symptoms closely mirror those of cerebral palsy. When I regained the ability to speak, the first question I asked was whether I would be playing soccer that year. Through tears, my parents answered, "Not this year, mate." Throughout my childhood, I was a regular outpatient at hospital clinics, attending physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and brain development sessions. My schooling, particularly during Year 2, was significantly disrupted. Nevertheless, with the expert guidance of dedicated hospital staff — to whom I remain eternally grateful — I gradually relearned how to walk, talk, and write. These early experiences instilled in me a lifelong foundation of determination, perseverance, and self-belief. Soccer remained my greatest passion and guiding light. At 15, I proudly represented Australia in my first international tournament and had the extraordinary honour of competing at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Now, at 40 years of age, I have represented my country in Paralympic soccer for over 21 years, earning 104 caps for my country. Sport provided not only physical rehabilitation but also critical emotional resilience, helping me navigate challenges at school and later at university, where I completed a Bachelor of Education. Today, I work as a primary school principal in Western Sydney, following in the footsteps of both my parents and an influential Year 2 teacher — Mr B — whose impact on my rehabilitation and self-esteem remains immeasurable. My journey has encompassed every conceivable challenge: countless physiotherapy sessions, bracing, setbacks, frustrations, and triumphs — from relearning to use a knife and fork to obtaining my driver’s licence. I have experienced deep disappointment and profound joy. Each moment — whether of struggle or success — has shaped the person I am today, and for that, I am truly grateful.