Following the dream: Casey and his motorcyle mates can hit the dirt tracks together.By Danny Buttler
CASEY Cherry can’t walk any more but that won’t slow him down.
The 25-year-old Pakenham man has been confined to a wheelchair since crashing his motorbike on a remote Broken Hill sheep station in March 2007.
But modern technology and old-fashioned generosity have combined to free him from life in the slow lane.
Casey’s first freedom machine is a modified all-terrain buggy that he can use on motocross tracks and on rough bush roads.
To get there, the former Pakenham Lions footballer needs transport and specialised accommodation. That’s where Grendas bus lines came to his aid.
“Dad and I were brainstorming one day when we saw a bus go by and we thought it would be cool to have a bus with a bathroom and a bedroom,” he said.
With the help of his carer, Casey wrote to Grendas, asking about the prices and availability of used buses.
“We weren’t really expecting anything of it, then they rang up and said to come down and have a look.
“We were shocked when they generously donated the bus to me,” he said.
“Not only was the bus going to cost us a bit to buy, it will be a lengthy and expensive project to gut it and renovate it.”
Once the 20-year-old Volvo is customised and on the road, Casey, along with his father/chaffeur Ian, will be able to hit the road in search of new buggy tracks.
“Just being able to hang out with my mates again and have something in common is great,” he said.
“I used to play heaps of sport – footy for Pakenham, and surf and other stuff – now I can’t do any of that and I have taken a step away from that group of mates.
“Now the boys can ring up and say ‘do you want to go for a ride?’.”
With no use of his body below the chest and hands that have no strength, Casey has modified the Polaris RZR-S to be driven by his arms.
Locking his wrists in custom designed controls he can steer, accelerate and brake the vehicle with surprising speed and agility.
With no sense of balance, Casey is strapped into a special harness, which keeps him in a stable position from which to drive the vehicle.
After four-and-a-half years in a wheelchair, driving his buggy over a dirt track at 80km/h is pure heaven.
“When I get in I feel like I’m not in a wheelchair … if people didn’t see other people helping me get into it, they wouldn’t even know I need a wheelchair … it’s a bit of a thrill, I suppose.”
Casey isn’t the only wheelchair bound bloke with a need a speed.
Others in his rehabilitation groups have been developing their own machines and could one day compete aginst each other.
“A couple of guys I’m doing rehab with are doing similar things with buggies,” he said.
“There was talk about a disabled buggy club and having club days at a track once a month.”
Along with Grendas, Casey has been assited by Quadquip Solutions in Grantville, with Jurgens Caravans in Tooradin promising to lend a hand when it comes time to fit out the bus.
But it’s a tight group of friends and, especially, his family that have made the biggest contribution to Casey’s long recovery.
After an initial burst of fundraising and support, it has been this close-knit core that have made the difference to Casey’s life.
“Mum and Dad and my sister have been awesome. I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said.
Others have not lasted the distance.
“I don’t know if it is because they can’t come to terms with seeing me in a wheelchair or why it is, but it’s probably for the better.”
Anyone who wants to see Casey and his buggy in action can google Vimeo and search ‘quadquip’.
