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  Niamh with the Minister for Education, Dr Elizabeth Constable, at the WA awards ceremony for the National History Challenge

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  Niamh with Barry Court receiving her materials for the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders' camp

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  Niamh at home with one of the many instruments she plays

Niamh a Year 10 student from Mercedes College, Perth Western Australia wins a Gold Medal with her essay ‘Triumph over Adversity’.

Niamh’s essay describes the frustrations of parents like Joseph Michell, a parent of a child with cerebral palsy (CP) and long term advocate for CP in WA.

Joseph said, “I was told that prior to 1940 parents of CP children in WA and in most parts of the world were not able to find out what was wrong with their child. We were told that nothing could be done to alleviate the condition and were recommended to place our child in an institution (mental) and forget about it, and have another child in its place.”

Thanks to the dedication of parents like Joseph Michell, The Centre for Cerebral Palsy was founded and has grown into one of the largest Disability Service Providers in WA. The Centre employs over 650 staff and offers a wide range of services aimed at improving the quality of life of people living with CP and to ensure the inclusion of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in every facet of society.

One of these services is The Centre’s Annual Scholarship to encourage young adults with CP to go onto further education. The Scholarship is named in honour of The Centre’s founder, Joseph Michell, who highly regarded the benefits of a good education.

The Joseph Michell Scholarship has helped many school leavers over the years to pursue their educational ambitions beyond secondary school and ensures the achievements of students like Andrew, the winner of this year’s Award. Andrew said, “The Scholarship will make it possible for me to be a little more self-sufficient and help me complete my studies.”

Niamh’s award winning essay is a detailed account of the triumphs and achievements of people with cerebral palsy, the work of Joseph Michell and The Centre for Cerebral Palsy.

To show her personal support Niamh has taken The Centre’s Wheelie Big Challenge to help raise $1,000 towards Awards like the Joseph Michell Scholarship to ensure other young adults like Andrew can realise their full potential and follow their dreams.

Niamh dedicated her work to her Uncle Tony who lives with cerebral palsy, attended the Sir James Mitchell School and is currently employed by Goodwill Engineering, the business arm of The Centre for Cerebral Palsy.

Your support of Niamh’s Challenge would be appreciated.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Go Niamh and thank you for your inspiring story.