Dance Brave Collective

Rachel and I met at a conference in the city in 2007. One of those moments when you know immediately that you have just met someone longing for a friend who can relate to their struggle and can tell them everything is going to be alright. Someone to journey the hard days, the frustration, the ‘hopelessness’ that often visits the mind, the streams of tears and again... just gets it. It took no time at all to get to know and love Rach and understand she was one fearless adventurer who wouldn’t let anything stop her... except her reality of being trapped in a body with the disability of Cerebral Palsy. 

Rachel was a rock climber, loved rainbows, moved to the big city on her own and was completely winning at life in the eyes of everyone who saw her. It was my honour to be one of very few who she trusted to sit with her in her fears and see her tears as, no matter what she accomplished in life, no one could take away the silent struggle of being trapped in a body that always was just... almost there. It always had its limits. The overwhelming struggle of not being able to live a life without great difficulty was the driving force that saw beautiful Rach take her own life in 2016. Her precious heart is just one in a sea of young adults trying to understand their own abnormality and carry the burdens of attempting to live a life as best as they can and know how. If only they felt safe to speak up for help and support...