Good Samaritans finalists in Attitude Awards

Bryce Dinneen, Wish4Fish founder, is a finalist in the Entrepreneur category of the 2016 Attitude Awards. Photo/file

Wish4Fish founder Bryce Dinneen has been named as a finalist in the Attitude Awards, which celebrate achievements in the disability sector.

Mr Dinneen, who is one of three Bay people to be named as a finalist, is in the running for the Attitude Entrepreneur Award. Last week it was announced that self-styled Cystic Sisters Nikki Reynolds-Wilson and Kristie Purton are up for the Spirit of Attitude Award.

The national awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of Kiwis with disability and chronic health.

He cannot physically hold a fishing rod and being on a boat out at sea can be a bit tricky, but for Bryce Dinneen, 38, fishing has been a lifesaver.

The Tauranga man founded Wish4Fish, a charitable trust that raises money to charter fishing boats so people like him, living with disability, could enjoy the rush of catching a fish.

Mr Dinneen's story was one that many young people could relate to. He was at a mate's stag party in Wellington in 2007 and dived into the shallow water at Wellington's waterfront, breaking several vertebrae and becoming paralysed from the neck down.

After almost a year at the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch he regained enough movement in his right arm to operate a motorised wheelchair.

"You get dealt blows but you have to bounce back and realise how lucky you are," he said.

Mr Dinneen set up the Wish4Fish office in his home, with the help of some trusted volunteers. The funds raised go toward the chartering of boats out of Tauranga and Coromandel, and hopefully soon out of Auckland.

"We use a couple of boats that we can access through the back and by using a small ramp.

"Some of us can't hold fishing rods, but the rod sits in a bracket and by using electric reels, we can fish for snapper, kingis, kahawai - anything we can catch for the thrill of it and being out at sea. We are currently looking for a couple of accessible boats in Auckland, with skippers who get the spirit of Wish4Fish."

Mr Dinneen said the charity's long term plan was to raise enough money to build its own user-friendly boat, and go from port to port so more people like him could get out to fish.

Mrs Purton, 33, and Mrs Reynolds-Wilson, 25, were born with cystic fibrosis and not expected to live beyond 18. They live busy lives with their husbands and their children, tempered with daily medication appointments and hospital visits.

Last year, Mrs Purton and Mrs Reynolds-Wilson decided they wanted to give back and 65 good deeds for cystic fibrosis was born.

Funded completely by themselves, the sisters did things such as delivering home baking to emergency services, hospital security and lifeguards, donated used clothing to good causes and sometimes paid for a McDonald's meal for an unsuspecting stranger in the drive-through queue behind them.

The project was so successful the sisters continued it again this year.

Mr Dinneen, Mrs Purton and Mrs Reynolds-Wilson will find out if they have won an Attitude Award at a black-tie gala on November 29 at Auckland's ASB Showgrounds.