Aquatic centre to benefit Bundaberg Special School

Ashley Schipper

The Bundaberg Special School has thrown its support behind the new Bundaberg Regional Aquatic Centre which, once constructed, will be available for students to participate in swimming lessons through the use of accessible equipment. 

The development is set to commence construction later this year with the overall project to feature a 50 metre, heated, undercover competition pool, a 25-metre heated indoor pool, an indoor program pool, a café and spectator area.

It will also include a range of equipment such as lifts, hoists, ramps and an adult accessible changeroom, with the design heavily focused on providing a facility for all abilities.  

Teacher Brooke Taylor said consultation with Bundaberg Regional Council had given the school an opportunity to discuss the needs and wants of their students when it came to accessing the new pool facility.

“Council came to observe the hoisting procedures of our wheelchair students entering and exiting the pool and we discussed how difficult it is for our students and staff having limited access to pools with wheelchair access.”

She said many of the Bundaberg Special School students loved aquatic activities but greater accessibility was needed.

“With the physical needs of a number of our students, swimming mitigates so much of the pain and strain on their muscles and bodies in general and allows them to experience the freedom of being in the water and feel comfortable.”

Brooke said the new aquatic facility would benefit students on a number of different levels.

“Swimming improves overall general health, it improves heart and lung health, motor skills, coordination, muscle strength, flexibility and helps maintain a healthy weight,” she said.

“These aspects are an integral part of staying happy and healthy.

“Anything we can do to support this will give our students, and others, the opportunity to live as freely and autonomously as possible.”

Locals encouraged to achieve wellbeing goals

Georgia Neville

Tammy McGregor says taking part in coordinated campaign Active and Healthy last year was one of the best decisions she has ever made to kickstart a healthier lifestyle.

The Active and Healthy program falls under the umbrella of the Do Your Thing initiative which was officially launched this month.

Do Your Thing aims to encourage community members to take control of their wellbeing in their own way.

Tammy was in the first cohort of the Active and Healthy program, which took place at the end of last year.

She said it taught her a number of key skills and strategies to improve her health and wellbeing.

“I have been involved in an active and healthy program and I was in cohort one which ran at the end of 2021,” Tammy said.

“As part of the program, we had three areas we were trying to improve which included physical fitness, nutrition and wellbeing.

“It was awesome because it was the perfect balance of all three for me and I managed to improve in all three areas and am still working to continue to improve at the moment.”

While finding the path to health and wellbeing is different for everyone, Tammy said the program she took part in provided consultation with local businesses to find what best suited each individual’s needs.

“I think this is going to benefit the wider community because it is all about local providers, for example we did workshops and local consults, so many things that involved local businesses and providers coming together across the three areas,” she said.

Tammy said she learnt a range of skills and tactics throughout the duration of the program which she has implemented into her daily routines to continue to strive for success.

“I will definitely take the things I have learnt with me into the future and implement these into my lifestyle,” she said.

“One of the main things I learnt was about changing a habit, so if you want to change a habit you put it onto something you already do.

“So, if you clean your teeth, if you are then wanting to make sure you drink more water, then every time I clean my teeth I drink two or three glasses of water.”

Do Your Thing is a collaborative program coordinated by Bundaberg Regional Council in partnership with Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld) and the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport in conjunction with several other peak health bodies.

It takes a holistic view of health and wellbeing that encompasses three main areas:
• Good nutrition
• Mental health
• Physical activity

Do Your Thing is a Building a Healthier Bundaberg Alliance project, which has the goal of reducing the region’s overweight and obesity rate to below the national average by 2030.

You can find out more about the programs that are involved in the initiative here.

Family’s fighting spirit shines through as face of relay

Georgia Neville

This year’s Relay for Life will be a special one for the Challen family who have been selected as the 2022 face of relay after their daughter Maddison's brave battle with cancer.

While the challenges continue to be ongoing for the family, they have taken the opportunity to tell their story through the Bundaberg Relay for Life to make sure other families know they are not alone.

Maddison’s journey started when she was just four years old, with her mother Vanessa saying the family had to overcome many challenges in the midst of her ongoing treatment.

However, her daughter's fighting spirit has kept them going.

“Maddison was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a soft tissue cancer, when she was four and it changed our whole world,” Vanessa said.

“Everything from our family life right through to the medical practices saw us challenged and have to change our routine.

“With paediatric patients not treated locally, it meant we had to split our family up and Maddison and I headed to Brisbane, while my husband and son Andrew stayed in Bundaberg.”

Having had multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, Maddison will have ongoing health conditions that will continue for the rest of her life.

Vanessa said she hoped the involvement in Relay for Life would help other families who were experiencing their own cancer battle.

“Maddison has got a lot of long-term side effects from the chemotherapy and radiation, so we are still coping, but from where she was 12 months ago she is a much happier and stronger little girl,” she said.

“I hope our involvement with Relay for Life helps other families who have children who may be going through similar things realise that they are not alone, and the feelings they are experiencing are completely normal and it does happen to other people.”

Maddison said it was special to have her whole family involved in this year’s relay, having spent a lot of time in hospital and away from her dad and brother.

“I really like helping people and I am excited for costumes I get to see at the event and making everyone happy and helping out so other people will be better,” Maddison said.

“My family is very special, whenever I am scared my mum holds my hand and my brother cheers me up and my dad always helps me.

“Spending family time together is rare because my dad is working, and my brother is at school a lot and so it just leaves me and my mum so we don’t get to spend much time all together.”

Vanessa said while it was hard to see your children unwell, knowing that there were people supporting you and your family made it easier.

“It is such a hard time watching your children be sick, but I hope this helps others realise that you do have this strength within yourselves,” Vanessa said.

“During those times where you feel as though you can’t do it there is always someone you can reach out to or something to look back on that can give you the strength to get through it.

“It really is one foot in front of the other, don’t look too far down the track at what is going to happen in a years’ time, just keep realistic goals and see what is going to happen tomorrow.”

Maddison said while the past few years had been rough, she was looking forward to continuing to share her story so other children can also feel better.

“I am nine, turning ten this year and so it has been a bit of a rough journey since I was diagnosed but I feel so much stronger and braver now,” she said.

“I want others to know I always shut my eyes, take a deep breathe if you are afraid and all your fear will go away.

“I hate needles! So, I always shut my eyes and pretend I was asleep and hold my mum’s hand which helps me a lot.

“I have had chemo, radiation and so many surgeries but there have always been people there to help me through it.”

Relay for Life will be held on Saturday 13 August at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct.

You can get involved by registering online here.

Helping others inspires Rachel to become paramedic

Emma Turnbull

Rachel Curnuck believes happiness comes as a result of what is given not what is received, and that’s why she’s followed her dream to become an Advance Care Paramedic.

Rachel knew the moment her life had become destined for her to pull on the teal coveralls and help save the lives of locals.

This moment was during the devastating 2013 floods when Rachel was just a teenager.

She offered to help stranded Bundaberg Queensland Ambulance Service personnel, including officer Steve (Sunny) Whitfield, stranded in Avondale for three days until floodwaters subsided.

Steve and his colleagues were looked after very well by the locals at Jo's Roadhouse during the floods.

Local school students pitched in to help the QAS team set up a triage centre for others that were isolated due to the floods.

“I wanted to become a paramedic because I love helping people even if it’s just a smile and, if possible, be a part of giving others a second chance at life,” Rachel said.

“Being able to help out the paramedics and nurses during the 2013 floods was an awesome experience.

“Initially, as a child I had the desire to become a doctor, but that soon changed and then I thought to become a paramedic.

“As most children, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ changes often, but this one stuck with me.

“The experience during the floods, meeting Sunny and the other paramedics, definitely had a significant part in confirming my desire to become a paramedic.”

It would be years later, when Rachel had swapped a school uniform for her paramedic uniform, when her and Steve’s paths would cross again.

Steve got a tap on the shoulder at the QAS Whyte Island Training Facility.

When he turned around he recognised Rachel who was about to head to Childers Ambulance Station to start her career with the QAS.

She has been stationed at the Childers station for eight months and, after dedicating years to study, she has recently received her advance care epaulettes.

“I feel very honoured to be a paramedic, being able to have the privilege to help people at their lowest and highest points in their lives,” she said.

“I will remain at Childers station for at least a couple of years. My OIC and colleagues have all been really supportive and willing to help out any way they can.

“I have learnt a lot working in Childers and have had the honour of working side by side with some amazing paramedics. I cannot wait to see where my career leads me.”

Rachel’s ambition to help others is also seen through her seven years of dedication to the Queensland Rural Fire Service, where she is currently serving as First Officer.

She now encourages others to work hard and follow their dreams.

“Being a paramedic is not always easy, it can be hard work, mentally, physically and sometimes emotionally, but I would never change my career for anything else,” Rachel said.

“If being a paramedic is your dream, then pursue it! My advice is to take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.

“It may get tough but if you work hard for your dreams, the end result will definitely be worth it.

“Being a young woman can be challenging in some industries but do not let that stop you living your best life and doing what you love.

“It does not matter who you are or what you have done or what kind of job you want to pursue, what matters is if you have a dream, aim for it.”

In our Garage: David Hargreaves 1940 BSA M20

Paul Donaldson

David Hargreaves has been working on his 1940 Birmingham Small Arms M20 since the late 80s, having now been riding it for the past 20 years.

Q. Where did the bike come from?

A. This particular model of bike was built for World War Two British Army and it was a dispatch riders’ machine, so that was the way they used to communicate by sending telegrams by motorcycle or horse.

The motorcycle was quicker, but after the war they were expendable so they were all sold off as war surplus and this particular model was bought in 1950 here in Bundaberg.

My father in law bought the bike back then and rode it as a cane cutter until 1969 when he parked it in the shed and he wouldn’t let me look at it.

I got hold of it 33 years after it had been parked up and I restored it and have now been riding it for nearly 20 years as part of the historic motorcycle club.

It goes to a lot of rally’s and is a very reliable bike with 500 CC single sided valve, grinder forks, no rear suspension and just a joy to ride and the comfort is in the springs in the seat.

Q. Tell us a bit about the bike?

A. The bikes got a reasonable sized fuel tank because they wanted to get as far as they could in the war.

It isn’t very fast; it reaches around the 55 to 60 miles per hour mark flat out and that is really pushing it.

They were built tough, with the engine itself being designed in 1929 but they had heaps of spares which is why the army pulled the contract together and used all the old bits and pieces together so they could manufacture and ship them off to the war.

At the time there were a lot of flasher models, these bikes really should be considered about a 1930 model, but they were made in 1940 onwards.

The good thing is you can get parts virtually anywhere that builds motorcycles all around the world. For example, India still has parts that are wrapped in greaseproof wrapping from the war.

Q. Tell us about operating the bike

A. To start the bike, you prime the carburettor and it’s got a manual advance and retard lever which is modern and all automatic.

But with this era to retard the spark and pull another lever which pulls the valves up and allows you to turn the engine over freely without any compression so nothing is going to fire.

When you are ready to or think you have sucked enough fuel into the engine, you let the valve lifter go and you give it one decent kick and it’ll fire up and you can give it a little bit of advance on the spark and away it’ll go.

Q. What have you done to restore the bike?

A. When I first got the bike I thought it was just going to be as simple as brushing a coat of paint on it and away I’d go, but it didn’t happen.

The engine was totally worn out, so I completely stripped the engine right down and began bearing new pistons and had to put all new gaskets, all cables.

The tyres were all perished so everything had to be fixed, and this was all back in the early 80s.

I’ve always had a keen interest in military vehicles, and just after I’d rebuilt a 1942 Willys Jeep, I always had my eye on restoring this for the sake of the family.