When it came time to descend, the
snow had turned to slush in the heat
and we all had a difficult time wading
through what amounted to a metre
of soft serve ice cream. Wally’s head
turned purple as he kept on chatting
to Kirsten and forgetting to breathe.
We hit the car park in the late after-
noon and a four year dream had be-
come a reality.
Not only had we achieved the first
journey from the lowest point to the
highest point of the Australian conti-
nent under human power but, much
more than that: we had proved that
people with disabilities are capable
of world firsts, not just ‘first disabled
challenges’. We have challenged pop-
ular notions surrounding disability:
we are not victims (as many see us),
nor are we heroes succeeding against
overwhelming odds. We are just work-
TRAVERSE
101
ing with what we’ve got, as every-
body does. We have proved that any-
one, with or without a disability, can
achieve their dreams given the right
life chances, and by working together.
PP
Our sincere thanks must go to the
Trekking company World Expeditions
without whose generous support this
expedition could not have taken place.