Tetraplegic Ben Kende on 10 years after rugby accident: ‘Life is extremely good. I don’t have much to complain about’
- Kende, 18 at the time, was injured during a match in Thailand, and is now a graduate lawyer in Sydney
- The 28-year-old Hongkonger said he’s found a level of peace and understanding through his new life in Australia
Ben Kende’s day usually starts at 6:30am on the dot. He’s a graduate lawyer at Sydney’s Norton Rose Fulbright, rotating through the various teams at the corporate law firm, located a few blocks from the Sydney Opera House.
The 28-year-old shares a flat with two mates in the Surry Hills area, an enclave which he likens to Mid-Levels in Hong Kong; quiet yet close to the action. It usually takes him an hour and a half to get ready each morning. As a tetraplegic with limited use of his arms and no use of his legs, Kende has a humorous way of describing his morning routine.
“One of the things about a spinal injury is it just takes me a bit longer to get going every day,” said Kende. “So yeah, it just takes me a bit to do the three S’s,” he said with a laugh.
Of course, Kende needs help and has an “amazing” full-time helper named Hannah, and a black Labrador Retriever assistance dog named Gumnut, who grabs his phone if he drops it from his wheelchair and who can open doors.
Kende has been working so hard lately on a case centred around money-laundering and counterterrorism finance, he hasn’t had much time to sit back and think too deeply. But now that the long working days are finally over after a few months of grinding through with little sleep, Kende has had some time to reflect on a certain anniversary.