How good is it to have another young volunteer helping at our wheelchair shed: Brendan is just 52 years old!Some 6 months ago, he and his charming wife Michelle relocated from Sydney to the Gold Coast. “Because I’ve always had a strong interest in “tinkering” (his words), restoring bicycles and vintage motorbikes, I saw an ad on Marketplace and came to this place to buy a bike for my own use, to restore to its former glory.” And that is when he saw what we did and decided that combining his hobby with doing something truly worthwhile would be ideal. Since then, Brendan has worked on most sections at the shed, from disassembly to painting to assembly of the wheelchairs.
So, what does a young man do when he is not working at the shed? Well… “I decided to take early retirement” he said. In his former life he had his own consulting business, specialising in corporate finance systems. With clients such as the Macquarie Group, certainly not a stress-free occupation! Besides restoring bikes and motorbikes, together with his wife Michelle he enjoys gymnastics. (Michelle is a Queensland and Australian champion in her Masters category). For quiet time, he reads SciFi novels (favourite author Blake Crouch), and occasionally watches streamed quality shows produced by the ABC or SBS. Back in Sydney. Brendan also was involved in a group to support Veterans’ mental health and might well again become involved in something similar here.
Welcome to the Surfers Sunrise Wheelchair Project, Brendan!