Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year's far North Coast winner of ABC's Heywire is Mitchell Pitman. He is a 17-year-old boy from Leeville, who has faced many challenges. Born eight weeks premature and with cerebral palsy, Mitchell was also deaf. He was told he would never walk and never hear. Mitchell and his parents, Melanie and David, were determined to prove the doctors wrong. At age two Mitchell got a cochlear implant so he could hear, and, after a couple of years wearing splints, he could walk. But Mitchell's winning entry is not about the problems he faced in life: it is about how his school, Leeville primary, turned his life around and made him the person he is today. He says he was treated as a normal kid at school, playing touch footy on sharp gravel, and when he was down his friends would pick him up because that is what friends do. He says, 'I am really thankful.'

Mitchell currently attends Casino High School and is studying year 12, as well as doing a traineeship at Richmond Valley Council. After being told he would never walk, Mitchell has competed at state level, taking out bronze for running in the 'athletes with disabilities' category. I am looking forward to catching up with Mitchell, and Melanie and David, in Parliament House tomorrow with the other ABC Heywire winners. They are an inspirational family and I would like to congratulate Mitchell on his inspiring story, and his mum and dad for producing such a wonderful young man.

The ANZ Tennis Hot Shot of the Year competition recognises and rewards a hot shot participant every month. Last year, there were three from the electorate of Page: Eva Skeet from the Lismore Tennis Centre's Raising Aces program was nominated in February, Rahni McGrath from the Grafton City Tennis Club was nominated for December, and the overall winner was nominated for October, and that was Jack McLean from the Casino Town Tennis Club. During the Australian Open recently, he was named the ANZ Tennis Hot Shot of the Year on Rod Laver Arena. As part of his nomination, the player receives a VIP Australian Open experience including a behind-the-scenes tour during the tournament, a meet and greet with Novak Djokovic and the opportunity to watch some of his favourite tennis players on court. He was selected as the winner by a panel of judges from Tennis Australia and the program sponsor, ANZ. His prize is a free year of tennis coaching, one private coaching session with Alicia Molik and $5,000 in cash. Congratulations to Jack.