[1] He played rugby league and competed in swimming for his school until he was twelve, when he went to the outback to work at a drover's camp during the Great Depression.

[3] He spent six months in the spinal unit of the Princess Alexandra Hospital and then went to the Kingshome Rehabilitation Centre, where he was introduced to wheelchair sport.

He was also well known in Brisbane's horse racing community, becoming a part-owner of racehorses during his regular Saturday visits to racetracks when his sporting commitments allowed.

[4] The first Paralympic gold medallist in lawn bowls from Queensland, he was undefeated in national disabled competitions from 1982 to 1991, winning nine national singles titles, and excelled in non-disabled lawn bowls competitions.

[3][5] After a health setback in 1998 that saw him in hospital for a year, he won a gold medal in a national competition months after his release.