Sixteen-year-old Cale has always been an adventurer at heart. He’s cheeky, enjoys listening to music and loves the great outdoors. But for much of his life, the simple act of joining in with his friends and family has come with some challenges.
Cale was diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before his first birthday, after his parents noticed he wasn’t hitting his milestones. At the time, the family was living in far north Queensland, two hours south of Cairns. They sold their house, left their jobs and moved back to Sydney so Cale could access the support he needed.
“It was a really challenging time and of course, our finances were limited,” his mum, Janine, recalls.
“We were trying to find the right physio, OT, speech therapist… We didn’t know much about cerebral palsy at the time, but we knew we wanted to give Cale every chance to reach his potential.”
“It’s all we’ve ever wanted – for him to thrive.”
Over the years, the family adapted their home with ramps, a new accessible bathroom and bedroom, and even received a manual wheelchair from Variety in 2017 that improved Cale’s ability to get around the house.
But the family’s biggest dream was to share the outdoors together – to bushwalk, to explore, to ride as a family.
Living just minutes from mountain bike tracks in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, the possibility was so close, yet so far.
“The outdoors has always been a huge part of our lives, but bush tracks are impossible with a wheelchair,” said Janine.
Even Cale’s bush wheelchair couldn’t navigate the terrain, and when the family applied to the NDIS for an Adaptive Mountain Bike, the request was knocked back – twice.
“The bike costs over $30,000. They don’t make them in Australia, they need to be imported from Canada. My husband found them online, and eventually we connected with a family nearby who let Cale trial theirs. His face just lit up. He was beaming. In that moment, we knew this was it, this was what he needed.”
That’s when the family turned to Variety and their dream finally became reality.
With their application for a Mobility Equipment Grant approved, Cale received his very own Adaptive Mountain Bike in November 2024, just in time for a summer ride with his family through the bush.
“The first time we all rode together was incredible. We love the outdoors and to suddenly have Cale right there with us, it was truly amazing.”
Cale now uses the bike with his support worker and with new tracks opening up along the coast, his family are already planning future adventures away with the bike.
For Cale, the bike is more than just a piece of equipment – it’s belonging.
“This bike has changed Cale’s life,” said Janine. “Without it, he’d be stuck on the sidelines. With it, he finally has the independence that every teenager deserves. He has freedom, courage, and the chance to just be a kid doing what he loves.”
“We’re so grateful to Variety. They’ve made an incredible difference – not just for Cale, but for our whole family. Variety has removed the barriers that held him back and given him the tools to truly join in.”
For Cale and his family, each ride is a reminder that no challenge is too steep when you’ve got the right support behind you.