Junee High School student Jacob Stapleton has always dreamt of riding a bike.
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Jacob, who suffers from cerebral palsy, never let the physical disorder crush his dream, while a secret group of peers and teachers worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help him realise it.
The school combined with the Junee Lions Club to present Jacob with a bike of his own this week.
The presentation was made at Monday morning’s assembly, where Jacob enjoyed his first ride of the new bike in front of the whole school and his emotional family.
“They said to come on over and then they surprised me,” Jacob said.
“I was just like ‘wow’.”
Junee High School principal Scott Frazier said no one was more deserving of the heartwarming gesture.
“Jacob is a really popular kid, always smiling and very happy,” Mr Frazier said.
“He’s very positive in his mindset and other people really enjoy being around him because of that positivity.
“We have a riding group and now he gets to be included in that too, the whole school is really happy for him.”
Jacob’s family had been searching for suitable bike for him for months, without any luck.
But little did they know the matter had been kindly taken out of their hands.
The wheels were set in motion when learning support officer Amanda Crane, who worked closely with Jacob, took note of his life-long desire to ride a bike.
Ms Crane approached the school with the idea of bringing the youngster’s dream to life.
The school then contacted the local Lions Club, who immediately jumped on board.
Students Angus Bull and Luke Smith were the masterminds behind constructing the bike, while a host of staff members pulled a series of strings to bring the special surprise together.
Jacob could not be happier with his glistening new set of wheels and the collection of kind-hearted people who gave it to him.
“I want to say thanks for getting this bike for me and to the community,” he said.
“I’ll definitely ride it every day.”