Perry Cross

At just 19 years old, Perry Cross’s life was changed in an instant when a rugby tackle left him a C2 ventilated quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. But what followed was not a life defined by limitation, but by resilience, vision, and extraordinary purpose.

Determined not to let his injury define him, Perry became one of the world’s most powerful motivational speakers and a leading advocate for spinal cord research. His life mission is both personal and universal: to help find a cure for paralysis. As the founder and president of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation, he has raised millions of dollars and inspired thousands to join a movement of hope, innovation, and scientific progress.

Perry’s achievements are remarkable. He was the first quadriplegic to complete a Communications and Business degree at Bond University, the author of the moving autobiography ‘Still Standing’, and a trusted advisor to the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of young Australians. He has met with the Governor General and Prime Minister to lobby for stem cell research and continues to be a fearless voice for change.

In recognition of his contributions, Perry was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2020 and awarded an honorary Doctorate from Griffith University in 2023. He was also named “Cure Warrior Advocate of the Year” and proudly carried the Queen’s Baton at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Inspired early on by Christopher Reeve, who sustained the same injury, Perry is now leading efforts to fund the world-first human clinical trial combining nerve bridge transplantation with intensive rehabilitation, the culmination of years of collaboration through the Spinal Injury Project at Griffith University.

Perry’s motto is simple but powerful: everything is possible. And his story is living proof.