Organisers often prefer not to disclose my disability, allowing me to make a statement when I enter the room after my introduction. Hence, whenever I arrive at the venue, nobody really knows I am the speaker let alone expects that this guy in the wheelchair dressed casually in a T-shirt could possibly be the keynote speaker. Some people offer to help but few come forward to interact with me. In fact, I am generally “ignored” or perhaps I should say, politely “given space”.

What is actually apparent in this state of being “given space” is people's tendency to stare. Let me correct that. What is actually apparent is their poor attempt at trying to look like they are not trying to look. If you are one of them, let me tell you that I see you and you look silly! I promise I won't bite if you came up to talk to me. 

This is not unique to me. Most people with disabilities observe the same discomfort in others and put up with the attention. They see it too. But unlike me, their first thought or feeling may not be about you. 

Is it a look of pity? Or is it curiosity? Perhaps shock?

My partner admits to a strange mix of the three when she first set eyes on me. She also admits to a sense of awe since the organisers of the conference where we met had disclosed who I was and what I had achieved in my life. She feels very different about me now, but that’s another story altogether!

The situation after my presentation could not be more different! The same people who had kept an arm’s length are on to me with warm handshakes and hugs. They tell me I am amazing and inspirational. More importantly, they treat me like their equal.

Yet I am still the same person they had stayed away from. So what has changed? Nothing on my part so it must be other people’s perception.

Many become comfortable enough to ask me how they should approach or interact with a disabled person. In return, I ask them why they thought they should be different in the first place and their responses are usually to the effect of not wanting to offend, hurt feelings or say something wrong.

Isn’t that presumptuous to start with?

I threw this question out to my Facebook fans. Most people commented that people with disabilities should be approached in the same way as any other abled-bodied person. I could not have said it better myself. But, how many can actually do it? How many can see a disabled person and not immediately make a judgement?

After my speaking presentation, the audiences’ original perception of me is thrown out the door. Well, they were the ones who were wrong in the first place! Unfortunately, most people do not have the privilege of correcting other people’s perception by talking about their life stories in the same way that I do.

Photo rights: Tauranga RDAMy partner works with some severely disabled people at Tauranga RDA. She loves it! One day, she told me about a young boy who was a normal, happy and active child until he was about 5 years of age. He then started to deteriorate and is now unable to function or respond physically and possibly even blind. But how could they know that inside that body is not a perfectly intelligent and aware mind?

They couldn’t. So they assume he understands and is aware of everything that goes on and they speak to him like they would any other person. That to me, is inspirational  work because it is so much easier to go the other way.

So as a person with disability and humbly on behalf of all those without voices, I encourage you to interact with us and urge you to keep pre-conceived perceptions at bay when doing so. We never know what someone, abled-bodied or otherwise, has achieved or is capable of just by looking at them.

A genius called Stephen Hawkings come to mind.

Stay inspired! - Tony Christiansen

It was at this time that I met Phill Hooker, the man who eventually taught me to fly. Phill was a great Air New Zealand pilot and is still one of the best pilots I know but he was pretty bad at radio-control planes. I am proud that one of the feathers in my cap is for teaching the cool Phill Hooker to fly!

Phill is a cool guy. He really is. And he has done good things for aviation in Tauranga. So it came as no surprise to me that I saw him on Campbell Live earlier this week.  

The television program had done a show on under-privileged kids in Tauranga the weeks before. In that program, one little girl stood out. She was full of ambition and struggled to break free of socio-economic factors well beyond her control

Young Porshay wanted to be a pilot when she grew up but did not believe it could ever happen. How disheartening... 

And then what did Phill do? 

He called the program, hunted Porshay down and gave her a message of hope. 

Phill took her to flight school and later on put her in a plane, handing over to her the controls.

He did the same for me that many years ago. And because of the same message of hope, Phill Hooker inspired me to pursue my love of aviation. He did not let my disability stop me. And with his help, I became the first person to learn to fly with a disability and created aviation history by becoming the first disabled Kiwi to fly solo.

Who would have thought?

So here's my message to you, little Porshay. Nobody could have imagined it could ever be possible for me to become a pilot and with Phill's help, I proved them wrong. The good man is inspiring to me and I hope he has inspired you to pursue your dreams of becoming a pilot too. 

The sky is the limit. I'll see you up there. 

Stay inspired! - Tony Christiansen

All the way from Taupo, John is here due to the unfortunate grounding of the M/V Rena a few weeks back. He and his team, which includes his son Hamish, are providing helicopter support assisting with the salvage work of the ship. 

Helping wash John's helicopter at the end of a day of Rena salvage work. Many people say I am extraordinary for my achievements but I always say that there is nothing special about the things I've done. Anybody can work towards being an accomplished athlete, fly an aeroplane, gain a black belt in martial arts, sky dive, scuba dive or race cars. People just think I am extraordinary because I have done all that without any legs. 

But John Funnell... Here is a man who has many times risked his own life to save other strangers. He flew a single-engine helicopter over 1,200kms of ocean to the remote Campbell Island to rescue a man who would have otherwise died from a shark attack. This distance was unprecedented anywhere in the world and John had done so at considerable risk. 

Right next door to me is a man who shipped his helicopter all the way from New Zealand to Banda Aceh to help with victim relief after the devastating tsunami on Boxing Day of 2004. 

And right here in New Zealand, John continues to save lives. 

This is a man I call extraordinary and he is definitely inspirational. 

Stay inspired! - Tony Christiansen