How a Knox local went from devastating car accident to Citizen of the Year
Gary Cantwell had to relearn how to walk and talk, but has since returned to work and participated in the Paralympics. Now his focus is on combatting loneliness.
Sally Dusting-Laird
October 15, 2024
Gary Cantwell was hit by a car almost 40 years ago, resulting in major injuries and acquired cerebral palsy. Despite being told he'd never walk or talk again he made a remarkable recovery.
Gary now serves as a Community Connector with the "Living Our Best Life" project, hosting Talking Cafes in Knox, helping people combat loneliness and isolation.
His work in the community earned him the 2020 City of Knox Citizen of the Year award.
In 1987, marathon runner Gary Cantwell was hit by a car while he was crossing Scoresby Road in Knox. He can’t remember the accident, which left him in a coma with major injuries and acquired cerebral palsy, or the three weeks that followed.
“I spent six months in rehab learning to walk with a frame, write, and eventually speak again,” Gary told the Eastern Melburnian. Despite ongoing pain, double vision, and memory and coordination issues, Gary was determined to turn life’s challenges into a gift of resilience. His parents were told he would need care for the rest of his life and never walk or talk again. But after a long recovery journey, Gary is now a crucial part of the Knox community helping to combat loneliness and isolation.
“I’d been severely injured in a road accident, stitched up, and my body was broken and brain damaged,” said Gary. “But through this process I’ve thought about how we all carry scars - physical and emotional - and how they shape us.”
“We can either close up, shut down, become hardened and guarded or we can open up to our pain, breathe into our feelings, heal and grow from it. Use our pain and suffering to build kindness, compassion, courage and resilience and ultimately gratitude for being alive.”
Now, Gary works as a Community Connector with the Living Our Best Life project, setting up Talking Cafes in Knox. It’s an initiative the World Health Organisation has recognised as a model of social prescription at work.
As a Talking Café host, Gary transforms a local café into a haven of warmth and acceptance, inviting people to gather and connect with one another. Attendees are welcome to drop-in, participating in an hour-long conversation, where they can share their stories and laughter in a friendly and welcoming space.
In 2020, Gary received the City of Knox Citizen of the Year award. His love for his role and as a talking cafe host has allowed him to continue to help connect people for four years now. He hopes to continue for many years to come.
Image credit: Sally Dusting-Laird.