Kurt Fearnley, Louise Sauvage and Madison de Rozario are just three of the notable Paralympians who have guided 16-year-old Cormac’s journey in wheelchair racing.
But there is another team that has played a pivotal role in his achievements. His allied health team at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (SCH).
Cormac was born with spina bifida, a condition where the spine and spinal cord do not develop properly before birth. It affects his feeling from below the knees and he requires a wheelchair to get around. He also lives with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine.
Cormac has been supported by SCH since he was a baby, with his multidisciplinary treatment team, including doctors, surgeons, nurses, and various allied health professionals, all working together to provide the best care possible.
I’ve been grateful to receive extensive and professional care at SCH over the course of my life. I have met with many professionals over the last 15 years and the care has consistently been followed up with, very supportive, and of course, beneficial to me,” Cormac said.
The Paralympic Games is his ultimate aspiration.
“I have always loved the physicality of wheelchair racing and the simplicity of going fast,” Cormac said.
“The community that surrounds wheelchair racing in Australia is incredibly supportive. I love finding common ground and learning from professionals in their sport who have similar disabilities to me.
“The highlight of my journey so far has been training with and learning from incredibly successful coaches and Paralympians who have helped me work towards my sporting goals. They have been consistent role models and with them I have competed in amazing events.”
Cormac’s involvement and aspirations in wheelchair racing has always been an important consideration in his treatment. The help of his physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthotists, and radiologists has been pivotal in helping him shoot for the stars.
For Cormac, physiotherapy has helped to maximise his independent mobility and encourage a healthy lifestyle through regular physical activity.
Physiotherapist, Deborah Daley, has known Cormac since he was born and has not only seen him progress through the years, but also witnessed his outstanding achievements in wheelchair racing at both a regionaland international level.
It has been most rewarding as a physiotherapist to support a young man who is such a positive role model and advocate for children and young people with physical disabilities,” Deborah said.
Occupational therapist, Corinne Browne, works with Cormac and his family to review his goals, priorities, access to equipment and technology, independence and inclusion at school and the community, and independence in self-care.
“Allied health professionals play a supportive role and compliment patients and their families, like Cormac’s, who are such strong advocates for their own health care and goals. We aim to provide comprehensive and holistic care to Cormac to enhance his overall independence and well-being while collaborating with local therapists and teams to support his current and future goals,” Corinne said.
“I feel allied health professionals, both in the clinic and the community, create a network of care that fosters the physical, emotional, and social development of patients like Cormac and promotes their overall quality of life.”
In the future, Cormac hopes to continue his involvement in wheelchair racing and one day become an accredited coach. He also aspires to study at university, with a keen interest in media and communications.
By his side will be his team of allied health professionals. On Allied Health Professionals Day, Cormac extends his gratitude for their support in both his health and wheelchair racing journey.
“The importance of allied health professionals is incredibly vast. Many have guided children into a happy later life and with circumstances of people with disability, they are often significant figures in helping maintain and life that should not be decided by disability.”