As the “Buloke Times” went to press yesterday, Beau Vernon was winging his way back from Canada to his home in Queensland, and then to Ballarat.
At the Goods Shed, Ballarat, he will be a guest speaker at the BestWool/ BestLamb and BetterBeef dinner on Wednesday next, June 19.
RSVP for this two-day event is 5 p.m. today (Friday).
Beau’s connection with the Buloke Shire area is through his marriage to Lucy Bourke, daughter of Carron and Mary Bourke, who now reside at Cowes, on Phillip Island, but whose early married life was at their family property, “Donabeal”, off the Borung Highway, between Donald and Warracknabeal.
Carron’s football career was with former North-Central Club, Watchem-Corack.
Details of Beau’s guest speaking appointment was sent to the “Times” by Anna Ferguson, Regional Media and Communications Adviser, Grampians and Mallee Strategic Communications, Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action.
Looking back through the records, Anna was able to find that by December 2018, and despite being a quadriplegic due to injury during his football playing days, his achievements had included the following:
- Director of Interact Australia.
- Senior Coach of Phillip Island Football Netball Club. (Coached Leongatha for 3 years, 3 Grand Finals and 1 Premiership. Coached Phillip Island for 1 year and 1 Premiership).
- Ambassador for Wings for Life world run.
- Currently studying Positive Psychology.
- Pride of Australia Medal Holder.
- Finished a business degree at RMIT University.
- Husband and father of three little legends.
- Actively involved in Sport. Surfer, Kayaker, Cardio (boxing, weights, interval training), Hand Cycling (2016 National Champion), darts, table tennis, golf.
At present
Currently, Beau and Lucy, and their three children, Layla 8, Joey 6, and Ollie 4, live on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Beau’s sporting achievements continue as he is at present a member of the Australian Wheelchair Rugby team, the Steelers, that are world champions and recently competed in the Canada Cup against five other international teams. They took out silver medal and Beau was named as the best 0.5 player in the competition.
Each player is classified according to his disability. Beau is a quadriplegic, hence the low classification. This is only his first year playing at a high level, so this latest recognition is a testament to his sporting ability and determination to succeed.
Mary Bourke, Beau’s mother-in-law, added excitedly, “As a family, we are all going to Paris at the end of August to cheer on the Steelers at the Paralympic Games.”
The final word is from Beau himself: “Despite being in a wheelchair, I love life, and definitely still don’t sit still.
“I want to be an advocate to show that people with a disability are as much a part of society as anyone else and that we should raise the bar on what can be achieved.”
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 14 June 2024.
