My son recently brought a brand new car. He was so excited and very grateful for the guidance at MG and Rackley Swimming and Aquatic Centres as a part of his inspirational story.
On the way to dropping him at work, I laughed and said that his new MG should be named Michael George after Archangel Michael for protection and honoring his champion boxer, great grandfather George.
After picking up my son from work, I met his bosses for the first time, expressing gratitude for their guiding light.
On first impression, his boss initially considered letting him go as a lifeguard when he first met him, as he saw him lounging on a lifeguard chair, in the rain, holding an umbrella, hence not appearing to he very focused on his job...only to discover later that my son had saved two lives on his very first day.
His boss highlighted my son’s qualities:
- Listens
- Smart
- Strong
- Determined
- Focused
- Team player
- Great with people
- Willing to take criticism and improve
- Fearless and will dive straight in…He doesn’t worry about getting his socks wet!
My son aspires to play world-class soccer, unwavering in his goalkeeping focus.
Soccer has taught him all of those skills. When he was little, I would have to lock doors as I would find him high up in cupboards. When he was one years old, I found him on top of the fridge. Nothing stopped this kid, as he was on the roof of our house at 3 years old. Scaling pool fences at 4 years old to get to the play equipment was one of his many skills. He was even kicked out of kindy at 5 years old for using a coat hanger to get into a locked cupboard, even though he should have been sleeping.
Then he found Soccer and that made all the difference. He is so grateful for all his amazing coaches and support he has had along the way. Thank you to Jonny Mckain (Former Olympian and Professional Soccer Player) for being such an inspiration when he trained him many years ago when he was in year 6.
Playing Professional Soccer overseas or Australia is his dream, with Sallah from Liverpool as his idol. He also supports the Tigers in the NRL, as he draws inspiration from their fierceness and clever fighting tactics. He has the boxing gene in him! My son certainly has the skills and determination to achieve his dreams, as he has possess mindset that has a limitless ceiling on his potential.
Just six months ago, getting my son to school was a challenge. He only went to school on the day he played sport and made many representative teams for futsal, making the Qld team. He now plays high level outdoor soccer as a goalkeeper for his team and often gets asked to play under 23’s and open mens.
Picking up his new car after working so hard as a lifesaver is a testament to his growth and potential. His new MG will eventually turn into a Mazda sports car…what he asked for in year 6 while he with training with Jonny. His support has been such a guiding light.
As George Michael sang, "You have got to keep the faith."
The world is yours, boy! You have the power!
1 comment
What an inspirational story Johno.Keep up the amazing work. We are honoured to have you in our team.
Onwards and upwards