I was born on 25th January 1959 in Sydney.

My first mental illness episode was when I was 15 years old. I was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with schizophrenia. The medication didn’t help and it often had bad side effects. No-one talked about mental illness back then.

I started work with Bluescope Steel in July 1979, when I was 20. At 21, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This changed my life. The right medication, as well as support from family and my workplace, has kept me well and stable for many years.

I married Hazel in November 1989. She's a great woman who supports me with my bipolar disorder, as well as in life in general. I have two children - Megan who was born on 29th May 1993, and Samantha who was born three years later on 5th October 1996.

I've written three books on bipolar disorder. Two of them have been published and have sold more than 500 copies. It’s been an interesting journey and has made me more open to developing myself.