VICTORY INSPIRED BY MATESHIP
WHEN his work colleague Chris Gray was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia, Ben Peasley knew he had to help out his “family”.
Mr Peasley, a long-time bodyboarder, won the dropknee event at the recent Australian Bodyboarding Association tour stop at Sydney’s northern beaches and donated his $500 prize money to the Leukaemia Foundation to help support his friend who he works with at Choice
Homes.
“We’re like a family, and when family members are in trouble they help each other,” he said.
He said the Gray family had received “incredible support” from the Leukaemia Foundation, which he describes as “nothing short of a miracle”.
“I’m 40 and I compete for fun rather than for any fame and fortune, so it’s really rewarding for me to see any money that comes from that going to a great cause, and hopefully Chris can benefit from that,” he said.
Mr Peasley almost pulled out of the event after injuring his back in his first heat, but with the benefit of some overthe-counter painkillers, a thick wetsuit and the numbingly cold water, he pushed on for his friend Chris.
“We want to do what we can to give Chris a boost as she undergoes her treatment,” he said.
“It’s funny, because I’ve had competitions in the past where I felt like I was surfing really well but didn’t make the final.
“At this event, I was injured and felt like I was below my best but ended up taking the win.”
The ABA Pro Tour, which includes five events in three states, is being held between March and August.
The Gray family are also organising a family fun day at Mount Tamborine in late August to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.
WE’RE LIKE A FAMILY, AND WHEN FAMILY MEMBERS ARE IN TROUBLE THEY HELP EACH OTHER BEN PEASLEY