Film celebrates quad bikers' outback journey

The inspirational story of four men who returned to the road accident sites that forever changed their lives premieres at Northbridge Piazza tomorrow, during Disability Awareness Week and on the International Day of People with Disability.

  • Four men return to crash sites where road accidents led to their disability

  • The Ride documentary follows their 5,000km journey across Australia

  • Raising awareness of road safety and inclusion of disability 

The inspirational story of four men who returned to the road accident sites that forever changed their lives premieres at Northbridge Piazza tomorrow, during Disability Awareness Week and on the International Day of People with Disability.

Disability Services Minister Helen Morton said the film, The Ride, followed the four Western Australian men on their ambitious trek to confront their past and return to places where road accidents decades ago had left them with permanent disability.

"Jim Cairns, Terry Mader, Craig Parsons and Anton Zapelli swapped their wheelchairs for quad bikes on this physically challenging and emotionally healing journey," Mrs Morton said.

"The documentary shows their resilience and determination, in the face of the immense challenges of travelling through Australia's harsh outback on quad bikes.

"The impact of disability on their lives is shown in the film - but the men made it clear that having a disability doesn't have to stop you from taking on massive physical challenges."

The journey began in Fremantle in August 2010 and passed through Collie, Southern Cross, Kalgoorlie, Ora Banda, Uluru and across the Simpson Desert to Birdsville, Queensland.

The Disability Services Commission provided $25,000 towards the production of the documentary.

The four men hope to take the documentary on tour to regional centres of WA to raise awareness of disability and road safety.

"The State Government is proud to be associated with this film because it demonstrates some of the key aspirations of the Count Me In strategy - our long-term plan for disability," the Minister said.

"This strategy values participation, contribution and leadership by people with disability in all aspects of their life."

Finance, Commerce and Small Business Minister Simon O'Brien will represent the Disability Services Minister at the 7pm screening tonight at the Northridge Piazza.  The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the four men and film producer Sandra Cook, chaired by commission director general Dr Ron Chalmers.

      Fact File

Minister's office - 6552 6900

Caption: Disability Services Minister Helen Morton pictured with Jim Cairns, Terry Mader, Craig Parsons and Anton Zapelli