A former Paralympian who has dedicated his life to helping tamariki in the Waikato is hoping to get behind the wheel with the support of his beloved community.
Terry Faleva'ai lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair — which he said was the reason he hasn't previously gone for his driver's licence.
"I was always nervous that I would hurt someone if I was on the road. But also what I teach the kids is to be resilient, so I guess I have to do it myself," he laughed.
Faleva'ai said the prospect of having the freedom to move about on his own was a huge motivation.
"Just really being able to be independent and just get myself to where I need to be with mahi, not having to rely on family members and also my co-workers.
"This is one of the challenges I face, and I'm actually looking forward to it."
Faleva'ai has worked with the Graham Dingle Foundation for more than 15 years running a life skills programme called Kiwi Can at primary schools across the region.
A GiveALittle page was started by one of his colleagues from the foundation, with funds to be put toward specialised driving lessons, vehicle adjustments including hand controls, assessments, and licensing costs.
He said the support had been "pretty amazing" so far, with more than $2000 raised toward his goal.
"I guess it's a full circle, like people who I've given to in the community, [and] those people that have donated are families from my schools, so it's been pretty cool."
Paralympian
Not one to shy away from lofty goals, Faleva'ai previously represented New Zealand in shot put at the paralympics in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
"Everyone's got their own struggles and there's things that everybody has to conquer or be resilient with, and so this is just my one that I have to deal with and try to get over the line, so that I can improve my wellbeing and my worth as well.
“I just think everyone has their goals and just make sure if you have your goal, you just be resilient and try your best at it,” he said.
“Sometimes we won't succeed, and sometimes we will, but we just have to keep trying.”
The 47-year-old said the Kiwi Can programme for students aged five to 12 teaches important morals and values kids otherwise may not learn.
"My job is a fun way to bring that across for kids to understand and learn," he said.
"It's been my passion to teach kids, and just have fun with them in a non-threatening way."
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