At the age of 14, Harvey Bay teenager Mark Farrell took a dive into a swimming pool that would 1 his life forever.
“I jumped into the pool and broke my 2,” he says. It's a very 3 story because I jumped into the deep end, not the shallow end where most spinal (脊柱的)4 occur.”
Mark has been in a wheelchair ever since and now, at 27, is very matter of fact about any 5 life might throw at him. In fact, he finds it 6 to name any challenge at all. “I just live my life and 7 it day by day,” he says.
For the past few years, Mark has 8 with the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT), telling his 9to young people in the Harvey Bay region. He also works as a whale 10, taking photos for various publications and calendars. “If I can 11 one kid's life, it makes every single 12I do worthwhile,” he says.
The aim of the SEAT program is to 13 students to prevent spinal injuries and help them to 14 understand the challenges and feeling of the people who 15 with a spinal injury.
Mark discusses the importance of checking the 16 of water before diving in and being more 17 in general. He has told thousands of school students his story over the years and says that if his 18 can prevent one spinal injury in a young person, he's 19. Mark's contribution to preventing spinal injuries was 20 in 2017, when he was named Young Australian of the Year.
