Survivor switches focus
’I want to help others through tough times’
AN Upper Coomera man who survived being dragged behind a car when he was a child has overcome brain injury and other massive challenges to mentor others.
Tim Cudmore, 32, was only 10 when he was hit by a car at Redland Bay.
“A friend and I were playing in a driveway on a push bike and the car collided with me,” he said.
“The tow cable under the rear of the car caught my left arm and I was dragged for 5m along the street.”
The accident left Tim with a severely fractured skull and semi-hemi-paresis – partial or full loss of the use of his limbs, while retaining full feeling.
Wheelchair-bound, he started his 21-year journey towards a better quality of life. It took him 13 years to learn how to walk independently.
“I would say the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome is surviving day in and day out,” Mr Cudmore said. “I’ve lived an extremely difficult life and it’s never something I can just escape from. I had to train my mind to fight. I had to learn to battle through the pain.
“I had to invent techniques to manage my emotions and problem-solve through every challenge.”
His gruelling life experience motivated him to help others as a disability mentor.
“I want to give back, to help others going through tough times,” he said.
“The joy I get from helping others is like nothing else.”
Mr Cudmore is hosting “snack and chat’’ monthly events with the aim of providing a safe place for anyone who can benefit from disability mentoring and life coaching.
The “ask me anything’’ evenings are held once a month at the Upper Coomera Community Centre. Visit asktim.com.au to find out more, connect with Mr Cudmore or keep up to date with his speaking events.