Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to draw the House’s attention to the efforts of Essendon resident and athlete Chris Mullins, who recently won gold in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Chris is an inspiration to all Australians.

Beijing 2008 was Chris’s first Paralympics and, judging by his efforts, I am sure he is set for a bright future. He won gold in the men’s four by 100 metre relay in world record time and finished sixth in the 400 metres. Chris is just 21—in fact he turns 22 this month—and was born with cerebral palsy. He has dedicated most of his life to athletics, beginning in under sixes.

He was encouraged to start athletics by his physiotherapist at the Royal Children’s Hospital as a form of early intervention. Early intervention, as the Rudd government knows, is vital for the development of children with cerebral palsy. The vast proportion of learning occurs in the first five years of life and these are the most important years for brain development and maturation, and I draw the House’s attention to the great work done by the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre in Melbourne.

Appropriate and adequate early intervention capitalises on the plasticity of brain development, with greater functional outcomes. In other words, children who receive help in those first five years are better equipped for life. Tragically, many children with cerebral palsy receive little or no early intervention and grow up to require 24-hour care as immobile adults.

Athletics has helped Chris’s development from a young age and his training regime as an elite athlete has only become more rigorous. In the five weeks leading up to the Paralympics he was training twice a day with running, cycling and weights. What makes his efforts all the more impressive is that Chris is in the second year of his Bachelor of Nursing and also works as a lifeguard at the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre.

Now Chris is inspiring the next generation of Australians. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris last month at Rosehill Secondary College, a great school in my local electorate. Chris spoke to a group of year 7 students as part of Wheelchair Sports Victoria’s Wheel Talk program, with coordinator Sean Corcoran. This is a fantastic initiative which improves disability awareness in the community and particularly amongst school children. I must report that I was a signal failure at wheelchair basketball when invited to participate.

However, the way that Chris spoke to the children about prevention of spinal cord injuries, health and physical activity for people of all abilities was inspirational, as indeed is the whole program and the athletic performances in Beijing. This reinforces both my perception of Chris and my belief that all Australians can learn a great deal from Paralympians. Indeed, I have repeatedly said that business should get behind our Paralympians and support them to be champions in their industry as motivational role models for companies, both internally for employees and also for customers. You do not find a harder working, more determined role model than a Paralympian.

I congratulate Chris Mullins on his gold medal winning performance in Beijing, his commitment to the community and the great example he sets for all Australians. I would like to wish him happy birthday for Sunday 23 November—congratulations, Chris.

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