Update – Post Zoo Report

The Dinner at the Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo, Adelaide, South Australia was a great success.

Everyone enjoyed close encounters with panda bears, meeting Paralympic medalists, hearing stories of resilience and supporting two excellent charities.

Peter Eaton collected us from Adelaide’s brand new airport in his 1927 & 1929 Whippet cars.

These two Whippets recently participated in rallies spanning thousands of kilometres crossing Australia’s driest and most remote deserts.  These proved to be challenging survival efforts when in one dessert crossing, both cars blew cylinder head gaskets in two days!  Peter tells me that he can now change a head gasket in two hours!

The Whippet’s wooden spokes intrigued me.  Notice the oil leaking from the spoke hub across the 1 to 4 o’clock positions?  The spokes will form the basis for a future question for Physics for the  Coffee Table.

Guests mingled before dinner in the Zoo’s ante-room that also hosted the Zoo’s two beautiful Panda Bears (Funi & Wang Wang).
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Jess Gallagher and I presented our stories to the supporters that included The Honourable Geoff Brock MP, Australian Paralympic Committee members and business leaders.

Jess’s and Katrina’s stories explained how you can make the best from what you are given and that opportunities abound for those who try and persevere.

Jess spoke about Resilience.  She took us through her journey from being an able bodied and successful school athlete, through her traumatic years of discovering that she would lose her sight, and left us with the unique success she has achieved in competing and winning medals at the Summer and Winter Paralympic games.

Katrina  Webb, also a Paralympian medalist, presented her story of success-challenge-success all the way to her winning a Paralympic medal.

Andrew and Penny Willoughby travelled from Melbourne to Adelaide to meet and congratulate Jess.

The guests were honoured to hold Jess’s heavy Paralympic Medal straight from the Sochi games 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spoke about Resilience and the Glass Half Full philosophy as it helped us on board QF32, and how it can all of us cope with the vicissitudes of life.

The evening raised lots of support for Disabled WinterSport Australia and the Royal Society for the Blind.

Thanks to Qantas and other donors who provided lavish prizes and auction items.

Thank you Ketrah Eaton for organising a wonderful gala night.

DWA – my greatest endeavour

The DWA and RSB charities need public support to help the less fortunate.

A Patron of  Disabled Wintersport Australia, it will be Coral’s and my pleasure to participate in other supporting events for these great causes.

Whippets in the Winter Wilderness

We are trying to convince Peter Eaton, his wife Veronica and his daughter Ketrah (the function organiser) to join Disabled WinterSport Australia and help us host other events in the Australian ski fields this coming winter season (with their Whippets suitably attired with period skis!)

Original Invitation

Jessica Gallagher and I will present our stories about resilience.

• I will present my story about QF32.  It’s a view into my world where we take measured risks but also where great things can happen when preparation meets opportunity.
• Jess exposes her world, showing how opportunity and growth can come from adversity.  All we need is the will to persist and help from wonderful organisations such as Disabled Wintersport Australia (DWA) and the Royal Blind Society (RBS).
• Katrina Webb (paralympic gold medalist) will MC the evening.

Qantas joins sponsors to donate prizes.

All proceeds will support DWA and the RBS.

As Patron of Disabled Wintersport Australia, I welcome you to join us for an unforgettable evening.

Dr Jessica Gallagher

• Bronze Medalist Paralympian Skier (Vancouver 2010 & Sochi 2014)
• Ambassador – Disabled WinterSport Australia
• Ambassador – Vision Australia
• Ambassador – Vision 2020 Australia
• Ambassador – Seeing Eye Dogs Australia

Since losing her eyesight, Jess has represented Australia at the highest level in both winter and summer sports. In 2008, Jess was selected to represent Australia in her first Paralympic Games – the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing followed by the games in Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014. Jess is the first Australian female athlete to win a medal at both a major international summer and winter event. Jess will talk about her training regime to become a paralympian medalist and what it takes to maintain the drive and focus to conquer her fears and to excel. Click here to view Jessica’s biography.

Katrina Webb OAM

• Gold and Silver Medalist Sprinter (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004)
• Katrina will MC the evening
• Click here to view Katrina’s biography