We recently had Andrew Fleming visit five Genesis sites to share his powerful story about how one split-second decision to take a shortcut led to a life-changing injury. </br> Andrew became a paraplegic as a result, and over the past 25 years he has faced—and overcome—significant physical and personal challenges. His willingness to speak candidly about that journey made a strong impact on everyone who attended.   The effort it took for Andrew to travel across all five of our sites was significant in itself. Navigating that schedule and the physical demands of travel with his disability demonstrated tremendous determination and commitment. His presence at each location was a reminder not only of the consequences of unsafe decisions, but also of the resilience required to keep moving forward.   Andrew’s story aligned perfectly with our “Play Your Part” safety program. He brought the core messages to life in a way that was relatable, practical, and deeply memorable. Hearing firsthand how a momentary lapse in judgment can have lifelong consequences helped reinforce the importance of owning our decisions, looking out for one another, and maintaining safe practices every single day.   What resonated most with staff was Andrew’s down-to-earth nature and his honesty. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything—he tells it exactly how it is. His openness about the hardships he has faced, along with the determination he’s shown in rebuilding his life, truly hit home. Many staff commented that his presentation was one of the most impactful safety messages they had ever heard.

"Andrew is an awe-inspiring speaker. His story of overcoming his challenges and not accepting defeat is inspiring, along with the way he links his day-to-day issues with the problems of the ‘everyday person in the street’, and challenges us to take up our own challenges with the same courage!"

“The team were able to gain real insight from you on a true life situation and how one minute everything is normal and the next life has changed for the worst in a heartbeat. At times it was difficult to keep clear eyes as the emotions started to come in; however, the important message was not lost. We can now put some real-life credibility into the everyday conversations we have with our customers and ask the question “Can you really afford not to have personal insurance on yourself? how would your life change following a horrific accident? how would you continue to live and run the farm in the way you do now after serious injury.”

“I found the session an eye-opener as to what it is like for someone following an accident of that severity. There is an attitude of “she’ll be right” within rural NZ, and people need to be more aware that things can go wrong. The session with Andrew was inspirational and showed how a change of attitude can make things different in your life.”