Kiwi expat Shane McGee is showing his daughter that Perthes disease won’t slow them down.
Shane McGee is a Christchurch native but has been living in Brisbane since 2000. Five years ago, he had a hip replacement due to Perthes disease, a hip disorder that develops in children. His four-year-old daughter Isla has now also been diagnosed with the disease.
“She’s not supposed to be walking much right now, but I want to show her that she’ll be able to,” he says. “The good news is that it developed when she was young. Isla should be 100 per cent better in about a year and won’t require surgery.”
McGee says he’s always recognised the mental and physical health benefits of walking, but was struggling to find the motivation to make it a regular habit.
“When I heard about Walk1200km, I knew straight away it was what I needed, and I haven’t stopped.”
McGee has concentrated mostly on the Brisbane area, especially around Mt Coot-Tha, but has ventured down to the Gold Coast for a memorable walk in Springbrook National Park, where he and his brother-in-law were attacked by leeches.
Although he admits to jealousy seeing photos of New Zealand walks, McGee is loving exploring his adopted city.
“Mostly I love finding walks I can do with Isla,” he says. “It might just be walking through picnic areas, but some places you find are gorgeous. I can’t wait to do longer walks with her.”
