Geoffrey Stewart

Be truthful to yourself

I am a passionate AFL and basketball player, public speaker, and resident of the Armadale City Council since an early age, who dreams to inspire young generations to achieve their goals and never give up. I had the dream to become a public speaker, and today, I am proud to be able to be the voice of Australians with disabilities.

Nowadays, I'm running my own program at Inspire Radio on Fridays mornings, and I have delivered multiple speeches about disabilities, sports, and my story.

From a young age, I started playing sports. I have played integrated state footy for Perth, WA, and shooting hoops for Perth's Integrated State Basketball teams. I feel like these experiences working as a team and guiding some of the younger players have given me the right skills to be an important team member and advocate in the community.

Some of the teams I had the opportunity to play with were the WA Basketball team for the Ivor Burge national championship. I have been selected to represent Western Australia eleven times from 2002 to 2021. I also had the opportunity and great honour to be the captain of the team on four different occasions.

I also represented WA in the integrated AFL State Football tournament twice and we won the B grade grand final in Launceston, Tasmania. I have also represented my state in indoor and outdoor cricket.

Some of my accomplishments include that I was the inaugural captain for the integrated football team, Willetton Blues, and in our third year I managed to captain our team to the finals, and then to the Grand Final which was a magnificent accolade for everyone involved,

Even though I am working towards my dreams and I have been representing Western Australia in multiple Ivor Burge Championships, the journey has not always been easy and it has included some ups and downs.

Living with disabilities is not an easy road and life had thrown some curveballs at me when I was in high school and through my professional life. I attended Roleystone District High School and Kelmscott Senior High School and I had worked in multiple roles at Kmart, Coles, and Biosphere West.

I started getting depression and anxiety and did not work again until 2013 where I started working with my Dad at Biosphere West collecting recyclable glass.

When I had a job, it makes me feel more part of society. It makes me feel proud to be part of a team and I felt like everybody else. My story and what I have felt is the reflection of thousands of people living with disabilities.

I think sports is a valuable resource as it builds confidence, community, and collaboration, but it needs to be transferred to other areas of life, such as employment. I believe it’s the right way to create inclusiveness, and people living with disabilities can live the best life they can.

Sport is a terrific platform for people with disabilities and their families to explore different skills that can be transferred to employment pathways. It was through sports that I discovered my passion for teamwork, discipline, consistency, and hard work. Also, I found the importance of being passionate about what you do and the great outcome that you can achieve when you are surrounded by great mentors, the right organisation, and the community's support.

Sports have changed my life and the way I overcome adversity. It is helping me with my anxiety and depression, and I believe this is true for many people with disabilities. Through sports, I found my passion, and I started to build the career I want with the skills I have, but I wouldn’t have done it without the help of the community around me.

In life and on the field, teamwork, inclusiveness, and the ability to recognise everyone's skills are crucial. That's why today I want to invite all of you to play as a team, there is an urgent need for people with disabilities to have access to more jobs and build more relationships around the community. That’s the only way we can win this game and overcome all the challenges that we encounter.

I always wanted to work in the media, but I struggled to find the way towards my dream, and all that I had tried in the past has pointed to opposite directions, big disappointments, or closed doors where I was feeling even more frustrated and depressed. It was only until I joined 4lifeskills and the amazing support from my employment mentors, Trish and Luke, who have opened the door to new opportunities, thanks to the amazing and friendly staff at 4lifeskills. To me, they are not just disability support but family and friends who want to help people with disabilities, achieve their goals and live a more fulfilled life based on their interest and real passion.

One month ago, I dreamed of having a voice and speaking up. I remembered where I started to co-design my career with the help of my employment mentor, and I was asked what my dreams were and how I would look in the future. Today I'm happy to be here and highlight the importance of teamwork on the field and in life.

Today, I want to say how proud I am to be part of the professional staff at 4lifeskills who have given me the abundance of confidence to be who I am and to be an inclusive part of the community. I am proud to belong to an amazing, talented, diverse, and passionate community that's committed to improving the lives of others.

With the support of 4lifeskills, I had the opportunity to speak at various events and now have been offered a regular one-hour time slot on Inspire Radio to run my own show where I can discuss the importance of disability and mental health support.