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After Bryce Dinneen had a diving accident that left him a tetraplegic, he was encouraged to put photos on the ceiling at his rehabilitation centre of things he used to enjoy.
He noticed the two common denominators were fishing and “good times with family and friends”.
“I was like, ‘Howam I going to do this again’?”
After that accident in 2007, Dinneen founded the Wish4Fish Charitable Trust in March 2011, which provides fishing trips for people with physical and mental disabilities and impairments.
Today, he has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to disabled people.
The 44-year-old Tauranga man said he was “totally humbled” and grateful to be acknowledged for his work.
“I’ve got an amazing family that supported me through my services to the community and a small group of supportive friends that I’ve built up over a period of time.”
Wish4Fish Charitable Trust founder Bryce Dinneen at Tauranga Marina onboard one of the vessels his charity uses to take disabled people out fishing, pictured in 2016. Photo / Alan Gibson
Dinneen said he lived with daily challenges “that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy”.
“I live with a disability - I’ve got four per cent physical function, I’ve got 24/7 care and basically live my life in a power wheelchair.”
Dinneen said he loved fishing and being out on the water prior to his accident.
“And I just took it for granted.”
Dinneen said he set up the Wish4Fish Charitable Trust to “give back” and to give people living with disabilities the opportunity to do what he used to enjoy.
Originally, the trust worked with various charter operators to run the fishing trips, which could take out three or four people at a time.
After seven years of fundraising, in 2021, the trust launched its own $2.4 million 18-metre custom-made boat, capable of taking 45 people, including those with disabilities and their carers, out on the water.
“Plenty of wheelchairs, plenty of space and plenty of amazing times out on the water.”
Dinneen said it was a “really special gift” to help people get out on the water.
“It’s pretty special every time we see the smiles on their faces.”
Last season, the trust took out about 700 clients from Tauranga, Northland, Auckland and Coromandel, and about 650 clients this season. The season typically ran from October to April but the boat could also go out on a nice winter’s day, he said.
“I’m an active relaxer so I like to stay busy. Obviously, all my services to the disabled community have kept me motivated and kept me fixed on some goals and some challenges,” Dinneen said.
“I’m a pretty upbeat, positive kind of guy most of the time so I sort of don’t really dwell on the challenges or the difficult times as such. I just try and roll through them the best I can, excuse the pun.”
Dinneen said he hoped his appointment would lift the community’s awareness of people living with disabilities and accept them.
“We’re making progress but it’s a space we need to really continue to focus on.”
His next project was setting up the Tangaroa Charitable Trust to support people’s health and wellbeing.
This would involve taking people for a three-night excursion on a charter boat in Whangaroa and providing them with clinical and holistic services, he said.
