Natasha Deans
Natasha is a physiotherapist who has both a personal and professional interest in amputees. Her husband Adam Deans is a transfemoral amputee following an osteosarcoma tumor at the age of 17. Natasha has observed how this changed his life and opened up many new pathways of opportunity such as becoming a professional athlete in Wheelchair Basketball, a World Champion, Paralympian and provided mentoring opportunities to younger children both able-bodied and amputees. Professionally she has furthered her studies in completing a first-class honours degree in transfemoral biomechanical analysis and seeked continual growth in amputee rehabilitation courses. Working with prosthetists directly has allowed Natasha to understand the co-treatment required around prosthetic componentry and rehabilitation influencing one’s function. Her goal is to provide a sporting organisation for amputees with limb loss, mentorship, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services for children and adults with amputations.
Sam Hallam
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Adam Deans
Adam became a left transfemoral amputee in 2005 following an osteosarcoma tumor found in his distal femur at the age of 17 years old. Prior to this, Adam grew up playing football and baseball at a high level. Therefore the idea of not continuing down the sporting pathway was not an option for Adam. A now close friend of his and former teammate, Brant Garvey took him down to the national wheelchair basketball training where he established this was not just a social recreation league and instead was conducted with pure professionalism. Not long after, Adam debuted in his selection for the national team, The Perth Wheelcats in 2009 and shortly after represented Australia as part of the Rollers squad. After just missing out for selection in the 2012 Paralympics he became a world champion in 2014 and in 2016 became a Paralympic athlete at Rio de Janeiro. At this stage Adam was at the peak of his career, however, following a hit to his head in a national league game in 2017 his Paralympic journey was closed sooner than anticipated after sustaining a brain haemorrhage and having to undergo surgical intervention. Adam made a full recovery, however, was forced to retire from the sport he had grown to love.
Life after sport for Adam he describes as pretty great! He has been fortunate to become a mentor for other children and adults with limb loss, provide public speaking opportunities and through the Athletic advisory committee at WAIS (Western Australia Institute of Sport) he is now working full-time in the mining industry and enjoying exercising purely just for fun. Adam hopes to provide insight to other amputees along their journey, as well as emphasising the importance of rehabilitation and gait education in maintaining one’s health and wellbeing.
Alan Burns
Alan has a wealth of knowledge with over 35 years of experience in accounting involving expertise in valuations for Australian Taxation Office requirements and not-for-profit charities. Alan advises Australian and overseas business clients over a range of business matters, both domestic and international. He is passionate about seeing issues from a client's eye.