Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

Rodney Gothe - Disability Advocate / Explorer

160 days ago

Rod left school and spent and embarked on a career in professional radio announcing. He progressed from the midnight to dawn show, through the ranks to the coveted breakfast shift. After becoming disillusioned with the industry Rod, left and applied to be a house-parent in charge of a group of six intellectually handicapped people from the ages of 9 to 16. This position was 24 hours a day 12 days a fortnight.

It is believed Rod was the first person with a physical disability to take up such a demanding position. Rod spent almost three years in this position, but left after it was decided to move all the clients into institutional style accommodation. Rod always being one for adventure decided that it was time for a radical move into a new area and applied for the contract to film the gold coast horse racing and greyhound racing.

Rod borrowed a video camera from a professional video store and tendered against a commercial television station for the rights. After 5 weeks of trials, he was awarded the contract for 3 years. Concluding that Rod took 2 years off work to become a restaurant singer 4 nights a week. After years avoiding working in the disability sector Rod traveled overseas and had a bad travel experience. With this in mind he became involved with starting a travel company for mobility impaired. This went on to become the biggest tour company for wheelchair users covering mainly Australia and New Zealand