My life has always been about accepting and conquering the challenge. From the day I was born I have not been satisfied with merely facing up to the challenge. Instead, I have striven to defeat every obstacle in the way of my destiny.

My name is Chris Boulton and I was born physically disabled. At the time, this was a tremendous burden to both my family and me. But now, through the pain and suffering I have endured, I can only see it as one of the best things to ever have happened to my life.

My disability: I had total incontinence, which as you can imagine, was quite a hard thing to come to terms with. It meant that I had very few friends in Primary School and in my later education at Concordia College. It also meant that I had a lot of time to learn about life and where I stood with in it.

I grew up in a family that didn't have a lot of income. While we weren't materially rich, spiritually we were the richest people I had ever known. My father worked as a police officer and my mum as a care giver. Together they also ran their own business.

My parents worked tirelessly to provide for my brothers and me. What they didn't realize was the hope and strength they also instilled in us. They were always positive and optimistic about every situation. A clear example of this was my birth.

After I had lifesaving surgery, the doctors came out and said that I wouldn't live past my tenth birthday because of the severe allergies and incontinence I had. Instead of wallowing at the prospect of losing their fourth child, they made every attempt to make sure that I would make it.

Through many times in hospital, numerous dietary restrictions and a lot of praying they succeeded in not only overcoming the challenge of my disability but in defeating it - so that it was and is no longer a problem for me.

It was about this time I faced the greatest challenge of life; my father dying. To say that this incident blew my life away is a gross understatement. It was at this time I realized the power my parents had given me. In the days leading up to my father's death, we were allowed to visit him to say our final good byes in the hospital. The words I said were not important, and the fact that he couldn't say anything in return, meant nothing, because as I was forced to say my final good bye I turned to faced him and saw he had his thumb stuck up at me. He could say nothing yet he said everything I needed him to say.

After the funeral our lives slowly came back together. My mum tried her best to be strong and look like she was holding up, but inside we all knew she was falling apart. Then our house burnt down due to an electrical fault. That was the final straw, and not long after my mother attempted to commit suicide. Fortunately she survived and saw the error in her ways.

As the house was slowly, very slowly, being rebuilt, we tried to make the best of every opportunity. Our lives seemed to pull back order and life resumed as normal.

My mum now goes to university and is studying to become a social worker. She hopes to get married in the next few years to her soon to be fiance Gino. We still live in our old house at Hawthorn and I'll soon be 19. I have a dog called Tess and my brothers are slowly realizing the power our parents instilled in us.

In a few weeks we are going to Melbourne to play in the national canoe-polo competition. I have many friends and life is once again in order. I look forward to the future and to the hopes and dreams it holds. But more importantly I look forward to the challenges ---and to the prospect of defeating them.