Inspiring 350,000 children to stay safe

Two Brisbane volunteers have spoken to a total of 350,000 Queensland school children in their combined 40 years of service to the community.

Wayne Leo and Robert Spencer, both sustained spinal cord injuries in accidents as young men. Wayne’s motorbike accident was 26 years ago, while Robert’s sporting accident was 34 years ago this June.

Determined to prevent this all-encompassing injury in others, Wayne and Robert have both been valuable members of the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT) program for many years.

Wayne is a founding member of the program, which formed 23 years ago. Earlier this month, Wayne spoke to his 250,000th student while presenting at Karalee State School; while Robert will this Wednesday (24 March) speak to his 100,000th student during a visit to Craigslea State School. This year marks Robert’s 17th year with SEAT.

Both men have spoken to, and inspired, children from Prep to Year 12 in almost every corner of the state during their time with SEAT.

As a young, married man and father, Wayne, from Riverhills, was a Corporal and in his 14th year with the Australian Army when he was hit by a car while riding his motorbike home from work. The driver did not stop. The impact of the accident led to Wayne sustaining paraplegia, which means he has no function or movement from his chest down.

“Kids in general think they’re invincible and that nothing bad will ever happen to them,” Wayne said.

“When I present, I tell the students to enjoy life, but just to exercise some basic caution and think about the consequences of their actions.

“Once they realise how easily a split second action such as texting while driving or diving into the ocean without checking its depth can lead to a lifelong, permanent injury, you can see their attitudes changing.

“At the moment there is no cure for a spinal cord injury and we don’t know how long until one is found. Prevention through the SEAT program is so important to make Queensland school children aware, and ultimately encourage them to stay safe.

“I always say, if I save at least one child a year from a lifetime using a wheelchair, then I’ve done my job.”

Two days before his 18th birthday, Robert was playing a game of rugby league when he was kneed in the chin during a tackle. The impact broke his neck and led to him sustaining quadriplegia.

Robert’s positivity and sense of humour inspires the children he speaks to and demonstrates that having a physical disability is not the end of the world.

“My presentations wouldn’t be as effective if they were purely a lecture, you need to talk to the kids at their level and appeal to them on their terms,” Robert said.

Recently, Robert has also started talking to employees around south-east Queensland as part of the growing SEAT at WORK program. To date, Energex apprentices, Watpac construction workers and TNT employees have been motivated by Robert’s story to make safety a priority in the workplace.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley, who has worked with Wayne and Robert since they began with SEAT, said both men’s commitment to the program and the safety of Queensland school children was extraordinary.

“I’m not aware of many people who have volunteered for so many years, and spoken to that volume of children,” Mr Henley said.

“Wayne and Robert are integral members of SEAT and their loyalty to the program and dedication to injury prevention is deserving of the highest recognition and praise.

“Who knows how many injuries Wayne and Robert have prevented by sharing what happened to them and deterring children from acting dangerously?”

Mr Henley said to have Wayne and Robert’s student milestones celebrated in the Spinal Injuries Association’s 50th anniversary year made the occasions even more significant.

Coinciding with the success of SEAT in the past 10 years, Queensland has gone from having the highest incidence of spinal cord injuries in Australia to today having the second lowest.

Currently, there are 16 presenters volunteering throughout Queensland. Collectively since SEAT began in 1987, more than 1.3 million school children have viewed a presentation.

Issued 22 March.