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Member Success Story

Julie Hooper

If ever there were a member story to hit you right in the feels then this is it! This is the incredible true story of one of our amazing PARC members Julie Hooper, written to us herself… ‘On the 5th July 2017, I left for work like any other day on my bike. At about 8:30am, I got crushed side on by a 30 tonne sweeper truck. I saw my ribs and clavicle come up in front of my eyes, heard lots of bone crushing and a loud crack that was my pelvis breaking in 4.   Eight days later I woke up in ICU from an induced coma with a body I didn’t recognise. The injuries I sustained were 17 broken ribs, fractures, displacement and broken pieces in the thoracic, lumbar vertebrae, clavicle and pelvis, a large muscle tear in my left quadricep, 2 collapsed lungs where one was punctured, bruising to the heart, head injuries and bleeds in both retinas and extensive nerve damage.  The paramedics who visited me were amazed that I was still alive – they nearly lost me en route. They were traumatized as they couldn’t believe that my body was the way it was – there wasn’t anything in my body where it should be!   The accident has significantly changed my life. I had once been an elite cyclist winning Welsh and British titles and numerous tours, I had also run for Australia at the World 100km Ultramarathon Championships. For 4 months of my recovery I was in a wheelchair in hospital and only able to use my right arm. I have permanent nerve damage which has left me with a limp and no longer can run, hop or skip. There’s no sensation in my toes, back of leg or my butt cheek, a loss of feeling in both sides of my chest and constant chronic pain all over my body. My balance on right side isn’t that good either.  My life is full of appreciation now and I put more thought in my day on how I do everyday life activities, as it takes so much longer to do things now. It’s very frustrating when I lose balance, fall over and even just the inability to put on a sock makes me look at things that I once took for granted like shopping, cleaning, walking, jumping or just getting out of a chair – getting a good night sleep and being pain free especially. But these are small prices to pay to still be here with my loved ones and friends. I have been overwhelmed by messages of support a love from people all over the world – it’s like having a snapshot of your funeral!  My rehabilitation is a mixture of strength, cardio and hydro. I wish to get back to as much of the athlete I used to be. I ride 100km every day on my bike but a much slower pace. This is what gets me through the day and helps me with my pain management.   I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder and my psychologist Sue from Personal Best Psychology works on that with me. The guidance of my Personal Trainer Chris Rich and group cycle instructors Louise and Pru have all helped me to be able to box again, leg press, do pull-ups and gain muscle.   Things I thought were impossible are possible with a few modifications, and I now have confidence and self-belief. You just have to believe it. Believe in yourself and have a strength the survive, ignore the pain and just keep trying.   Every morning I say, “Pick yourself up, dust it off, start all over again and never say never”. I will be going in for my 14th surgery late December and 60th X ray to remove a plate and 6 screws in my seat bone which will hopefully get me back in the New year to sprint classes with the inspirational Louise and Pru’s awesome cycle classes. I am hoping to work again with the very knowledgeable, motivating and professional Chris Rich with PT as well. PARC has an amazing team and amazing facilities.’ Since Julie sent her story to us, her 14th surgery in December was a success. She is currently waiting to see if she can be classified as a para-cyclist due to her nerve damage. Her goal is to enter selection for the Australian para-cycling team, and ride in the Tokyo Olympics, 2020, and Commonwealth Games in 2022.  
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That`s a wrap on our 30-20-2 Movement Challenge! 🤩

Congratulations to all of our members who have worked so hard over the last 4 weeks. It`s been AMAZING seeing so many members take on the challenge, and achieving their 30-20-2!

Don`t forget to hand your card in by Sunday this week to go in in the draw to win one of our PARC Winter scarves.

Well done team PARC! 💪

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Open post by parcfrankston with ID 18138800863495664
That's a wrap on our 30-20-2 Movement Challenge! 🤩 Congratulations to all of our members who have worked so hard over the last 4 weeks. It's been AMAZING seeing so many members take on the challenge, and achieving their 30-20-2! Don't forget to hand your card in by Sunday this week to go in in the draw to win one of our PARC Winter scarves. Well done team PARC! 💪

More Movement = More Energy ⚡️

We know that it can be tricky to find time to be active, but the benefits for achieving your 30-20-2 each week are huge!

There`s so many reasons why getting more movement into your day is so important:
🧠 Improves oxygen flow to muscles and brain
☺️ Releases feel-good chemicals that fight fatigue
🤩 Gives an instant lift after even short activity
💪 Builds long-term stamina and alertness

Check out our digital hub via our website for some free inspiration on how to achieve your 30-20-2 🏋️‍♀️

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Open post by parcfrankston with ID 18103624898043779
More Movement = More Energy ⚡️ We know that it can be tricky to find time to be active, but the benefits for achieving your 30-20-2 each week are huge! There's so many reasons why getting more movement into your day is so important: 🧠 Improves oxygen flow to muscles and brain ☺️ Releases feel-good chemicals that fight fatigue 🤩 Gives an instant lift after even short activity 💪 Builds long-term stamina and alertness Check out our digital hub via our website for some free inspiration on how to achieve your 30-20-2 🏋️‍♀️

Supporting Our Community: Free Period Products available at PARC

We’re excited to be part of the Victorian Government’s Free Pads and Tampons in Public Places Program, and have two new smart sanitary dispenser`s product installed in our change rooms.

How the dispensers work:

🧡 Products are dispensed free of charge
🧡 Simply follow the instructions displayed on the front of the machine
🧡 A short delay between dispenses helps ensure fair access and reduces wastage

We’re proud to be participating in this program and helping support our community. By providing free access to essential products, we’re ensuring our members and guests can focus on their health and wellbeing without added barriers.

For more information, you can read our blog about our new dispensers via our website.

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Open post by parcfrankston with ID 18138910495558013
Supporting Our Community: Free Period Products available at PARC We’re excited to be part of the Victorian Government’s Free Pads and Tampons in Public Places Program, and have two new smart sanitary dispenser's product installed in our change rooms. How the dispensers work: 🧡 Products are dispensed free of charge 🧡 Simply follow the instructions displayed on the front of the machine 🧡 A short delay between dispenses helps ensure fair access and reduces wastage We’re proud to be participating in this program and helping support our community. By providing free access to essential products, we’re ensuring our members and guests can focus on their health and wellbeing without added barriers. For more information, you can read our blog about our new dispensers via our website.

It’s the last week of our 30-20-2 Movement Challenge!

It’s been so amazing to see so many members of our PARC Fam take on the challenge over the last four weeks! If you completed the AMRAP in Week 1, make sure to do it again this week and record your results to get an extra entry into the prize draw.

Keep moving, and good luck 🥳

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Open post by parcfrankston with ID 17943128583039825
It’s the last week of our 30-20-2 Movement Challenge! It’s been so amazing to see so many members of our PARC Fam take on the challenge over the last four weeks! If you completed the AMRAP in Week 1, make sure to do it again this week and record your results to get an extra entry into the prize draw. Keep moving, and good luck 🥳

Introducing our new 30-20-2 digital hub!

We are excited to share our digital hub and help you to build more movement into your daily life. Filled with practical tools, our digital hub supports you to understand our weekly activity formula of 30‑20‑2.

We are making activity more fun, social, accessible and enjoyable, no matter your age, ability or starting point.

To support you in moving more, we have put together helpful tools:

✅ Resources to help explain the basics
✅ Tips to help you increase your movement
✅ Workouts you can do anywhere
✅ Listing of local organisations and places you can get active and connect with others

You don’t need to overhaul your life. Every bit counts. Being healthier physically and mentally is simple with 30-20-2.

Check out our hub via the link in our bio.

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Open post by parcfrankston with ID 18364285912228763
Introducing our new 30-20-2 digital hub! We are excited to share our digital hub and help you to build more movement into your daily life. Filled with practical tools, our digital hub supports you to understand our weekly activity formula of 30‑20‑2. We are making activity more fun, social, accessible and enjoyable, no matter your age, ability or starting point. To support you in moving more, we have put together helpful tools: ✅ Resources to help explain the basics ✅ Tips to help you increase your movement ✅ Workouts you can do anywhere ✅ Listing of local organisations and places you can get active and connect with others You don’t need to overhaul your life. Every bit counts. Being healthier physically and mentally is simple with 30-20-2. Check out our hub via the link in our bio.

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