I don't have many heros.
I have people I admire but not many people I am in total awe of.
Except this guy.
Many years ago, I drove home from a happy date night to be met at the front door by one of the MABS (my amazing brother's)
Visibly shocked, his first words to me were: "Ben's broken his neck!"
Then he launched into a babble of explanation.
Slowly I began to piece the story together. He and his schoolfriend Ben had been playing a rugby match that afternoon. In a freakish accident when Ben had fallen, another player had tripped over Ben, breaking his neck in the process. The umpire at the time had ordered Ben off the pitch and Ben had lain there, paralysed, knowing instantly what had happened to his body. My dad was there and was instrumental in ensuring he wasn't lifted, thus preventing further damage to the irreparable harm that had already been done.
And so it began.
Ben Gauntlett is an exceptional human being.
At 16 years of age he was a talented sportsman and astonishingly academically gifted. I remember driving him home from footy and rugby matches and chatting about his future plans, and thinking how wonderful it was that this kid had the world at his feet but was utterly relaxed about it.
Following some initial operations he spent the next six months at our local rehabilitation centre. He was diagnosed as being a quadruplegic which is a shattering diagnosis at any age. But 16?
We visited him most days. We saw a parade of people, sadly young men mostly, come through with serious spinal cord injuries. I remember one guy who regained the ability to walk against many odds and I am sure that even 16 years later he is still hugely grateful. Because so many of them didn't.
I saw the school community pull together in an incredible way to support Ben and his family. His family and friends were brilliant, but Ben was the star in all of this.
Ben was stoic throughout the whole thing. Only once do I remember him saying to me somewhat wistfully: "I'd love to run just one more time."
After 6 months in rehab Ben was back at school.  He was in a wheelchair and had extremely limited use of his arms and minimal fine motor skills.
It didn't matter.
Nothing limited Ben, not even this.
He was unanimously voted the school Sports Captain. He completed Year 12 with one of the top TEE marks in the state.
After a year studying Medicine at University, he switched to Law.
After graduating with a double degree in Law Commerce he studied at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. Those are for smart people by the way. I was privileged to be living in the UK at the time and able to visit him at those hallowed Halls.
He's worked as a lawyer in New York and has lived and loved all over the world. He is hugely sought after and refused to let his physical limitations impede him.
I used to tell Ben's story to my students when they were filled with self doubt because of all the people I have met he inspires me to keep going.
Limitations are so often in our minds.
And Ben?
He reminds me to remember to approach life at a run.