Aden has always been into sports. He swims all year round, plays soccer, and he’s been a member of the North Cronulla Surf Club since he was five years old. He did Nippers for nine years too, and then when we set up the Sea Turtles three years ago he got involved in that as well.

There are six members at the moment, with a range of different ages and abilities, and they do all sorts of things like patrols of the beach, using their whistles to warn people about rip tides, or their radios to alert the professional lifeguards that someone needs help. Thankfully we’ve never actually had to rescue anyone, but we’re there to keep watch over people, make sure they stay between the flags and so on.

We also go to carnivals where they’ll get involved in things like beach sprints and board races and swimming out and round buoys. There’s another activity called flags where they all lie down and on the whistle they have to get up and run to capture the flag. There’s always one less flag than there are competitors so it gets down to one winner.

They love it, they really do. In mainstream activities, a lot of these kids would never have the opportunity to get the flag. But with a programme like Sea Turtles, the people they’re competing with are closer to them in terms of ability.

I’m an electrician by trade but I got my bronze lifesaving medallion 20 years ago with a group of friends down the national park. We used to go away for weekends and they were all members of the surf club, so I joined too.

When Aden joined the Nippers, I didn’t think it was the club’s responsibility to provide the extra support that he needed so I’d help out with water safety. It wasn’t long before I wasn’t just looking after Aden but any other kid that was more in need. Now ironically other parents will say that Aden’s been a great learning and teaching example for their kids and their understanding of people with disabilities.

A couple of years ago, Aden won Male Surf Club Member of the Year, which was really special. I know he’s really proud of being a member, and doing Nippers and now Sea Turtles makes him happy. He and the rest of the group were thrilled when Tom & Teddy decided to sponsor us by kitting us out in their turtle print shorts - they all love them.

I always wanted to be a dad. We didn't know until after Aden was born that he had Down’s Syndrome but we knew that it was going to be a bit different to the textbook theory of raising a child. He just learns things at a different level and in his own way. Sport has been a great way for us to spend time together, and music, which is another one of his passions. Aden really is one of the most loving human beings I know, there’s not a bad bone in his body. I’m so proud of him.

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