Apr
When Nostalgia Walks Through the Door (With a Limp)
Every now and then, someone walks through our doors and brings with them a story too good not to share. Last week was one of those moments.
Her name is Mary — short for Maria — though anyone who followed rugby league in the 1980s might remember her by a different title: the woman who stormed the field. That’s right. Mary made headlines across the country when she leapt from the stands and marched straight onto the pitch to confront referee Greg Hartley during a particularly heated match.
It wasn’t a quiet entrance, either. Fired up over what she believed was a dodgy call (or maybe a few), Mary gave Greg an earful that echoed around the stadium — and then around Australia when footage of the incident made it onto the nightly news. To this day, she still gets recognized at the odd pub or footy reunion.
Fast forward a few decades, and Mary’s not charging onto fields anymore — though she did recently limp into our store with a fractured foot. A bad step, a bit of stubbornness, and suddenly she found herself needing a cam boot. She wasn’t thrilled about it, but she took it like a champ — just like we imagine she did back in the day.
As we got her fitted and made sure she was comfortable, the stories flowed. She’s still got that same fire, that same energy, and now… a medically-approved walking boot to keep her on her feet during recovery.
It’s moments like these that remind us our work is more than just braces and boots. It’s about people — their stories, their pasts, and sometimes their very colourful paths to our front door.
Mary may have once taken on a referee, but this time, it was just gravity that got the better of her. We’re just glad we could help her stay mobile — and keep telling her story, one legendary step at a time.
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Drop in and see us — whether you’re a weekend warrior or a legend from the sidelines, we’ve got your recovery covered.
Photo caption: Mary, still standing strong — now with a little help from her cam boot.