My name’s Jai, Jai Waite.
I’m 41 years old.
I’ve been a quadriplegic for…17 years coming up.
Oh, this is a real thing? Director: Yeah it is a real thing.
Now when I get home my wife’s going to go “why have you got make-up on?!”
Uh…Well really, you’re both f***ed, really (laughter)
No, um, actually there is no difference they’re exactly the same terminology.
Well, 17 years ago, I was on my OE
travelling with some of my mates around Europe
in a van and going from all of the Mediterranean countries
and got to Greece and we went out to an island called Ios.
The last night I was there I was waist deep into the water and
the night before there had been a bit of a storm so
the surface under the sea had changed a bit
and I just went to duck dive through the wave and
just as I duck dive, I went straight in and hit a sand bar underneath the waves
and what that did was force my neck down like that, and fractured my fifth vertebrae.
Well you know if I compare to
before my accident and after my accident
I think… actually dating after my accident was a lot easier.
Yeah I think… approaching girls, in a wheelchair,
I think you’re a lot less threatening.
I found, when I met my wife, it was great and I think she never felt like
in our relationship that I was…
we were always equal, in a way,
I was never the ‘big strong male’ because I've got some physical limitations, so I think it works well.
(laughter)
So I’ve been married for like 15 years so I have no use for pickup lines.
Sorry guys, no answer for that one.
Uhh...
Well for me, I have an agency that does all my...
that supplies all my carers
and they’re really good,
they make sure the person’s going to fit in with me and my family
and we have a little bit of a small interview process, usually a meet and greet
and if they work out, they work out
and pretty much everyone I’ve had has been awesome.
I think it is, it’s that initial acceptance of who you are.
And… for me that took about six months.
and I can pretty clearly remember the day,
it was summer, all of my friends had gone off to the beach,
something we all used to do,
and what I would have just happily done before
and the realisation of limitation and I think, I mean
that there… I think I dwelt on it for a bit
but you know, I was pretty lucky to have some people in my life at the time that
kind of pulled me around and out of it.
I would say you have to take time just to
gather your...
I think gather yourself and take stock of what’s happened.
I think it’s all good and well
aiming for all these lofty goals
but I think until you accept who you are
and accept what you can do
yeah, I think then you can move on and start looking at the bigger picture.
Yes! Totally possible, I have two.
They’re both two girls, aged 4 and 7 and they are awesome.
They are such good kids and
I think they always have questions about why...
'dad why are you in a wheelchair?'
and 'why can't he do this?'
But I think all the things I can do for them and
you know, you can love your kids just the same as anyone else.
Director: And I’ll just get you to come out.
Sweet, now?
Director: Yeah - Sweet
Director: Thank you
Right let's get out of here!