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Happiness Is Key – Just Ask Ryan!

At Power Mobility, we are asking our customers to tell us a little bit about their lives, so we can share it with our wider community. Here, Ryan gives us an insight into his life, the challenges he faces, his aspirations, frustrations (not many!), and how he maintains his super positive attitude. Thanks so much for sharing, Ryan!

Hi, my name is Ryan and this is a peek inside my life.

I’m the kind of person who looks out for all my mates, no matter how old or new. I’m not perfect, but I do my best to make someone (anyone!) smile just once a day. I always try to be happy and smiling. I like to think positively and treat everyone with respect. If you judge me straight away, that’s fine. But if you give me a shot, I might just surprise you!

I love going out and making the most of it. Life’s not a dress rehearsal, so ‘Never live in an if’! I’m always up for going out, having a few drinks with mates, making fools of ourselves and creating memories, but a lunch and a chat is always great for the soul.

I love going out to gigs, music concerts, pubs, clubs, festivals – you name it. I’m really into my music scene, but I’ll play Xbox for days (so I do have a gaming/‘nerdy’ side), and I love to perform my beat-boxing.

I’ll never turn down a movie day or binge-watching a good TV series. You can sometimes catch me out smashing down a burger or a tasty curry. I love a good feed, but lasagne is the way to my heart.

Being as active as I am, I find that lots of venues aren’t always wheelchair-friendly or accessible, but I believe that the more active disabled people are, that this will continue to change the world for the better in the future.

Sometimes I find that people are judgmental or condescending, but it’s important to keep your head up, because there are plenty of amazing people in this world – some are just around the corner waiting to meet you!

Be and do the most you can. I live by the words, ‘Never live in an if’, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s time to stand up (figuratively speaking), and take the bull by the horns. Don’t let your chair restrict you – ever! There’s always someone out there that has it worse than us.

The power wheelchair I have is a Quantum R44. I’ll be getting a new one soon, but this beast has seen its fair share of things, and gone to places thought impossible! It has exceeded my expectations, but maybe it’s the driver, not the chair (haha!).

When I want to get around Brisbane, I prefer to use trains if I can, because they’re less rough, and most stations and guards are accommodating. Busses can be a little crazy, depending who’s behind the wheel (some drivers act like they’re auditioning for the old movie, ‘Speed’). Sometimes I use taxis where trains and busses don’t go, but this is rare in Brisbane. The transport here is amazing!

I’ve always had a passion to study a Bachelor of Psychological Science, which I have looked into at the University of Queensland. I’m just waiting for the appropriate time to pursue my career path.

I think it’s important to always do, follow and study what you love. There’s no point doing things that don’t make you happy. Happiness is key to a positive way of thinking, outlook and quality of life.

Ryan Bayley

Share your story

If you’d like to share your story with our community, please click here. We’d love to hear from you! You can learn more about Power Mobility’s range of power chairs and other mobility aids designed to make your life easier here.