Who is Lachlan Barker?

Lachlan Barker
Lachlan Barker
Trainee

I am a basketballer, farmer, brother and son. I help behind the scenes with administration and assist with Moving Mind Mountain’s group activities. At times, I take on the responsibilities of running the family farm when dad is away and I really enjoy being with the livestock, using the tractor… and I have my own bull raising enterprise. I also really enjoy helping people, exercise and fitness, sport, food, family and friends.

I was brought up in a very outgoing family who make things happen when they decide to do or need to solve a problem. My family is different and special in their own way; they are interested in lots of different and weird things. They have been very patient, encouraging, helpful and supportive of my sister and I.

They have encouraged us to follow our dreams and work at our gifts, talents and passions, mine being able to play professional basketball. In addition to playing professional basketball, I would also like to become a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach with elite athletes and sporting organisations.

With my family’s support and mum’s continual search for activities and solutions, like Dad’s coaching, Davis Dyslexia Facilitation, home schooling, BodyTalk, Meditation, circus skills, drumming, basketball, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, meditation… they are helping me to overcome my extreme dyslexia. Through these activities I have worked on my physical mental and emotional health issues. These activities have seen me develop from;

  • A kid who never crawled normally
  • A kid who could only use his knife and fork like a left hand person when he was right handed
  • A kid who would muddle up the syllables in some words, e.g. merote for remote
  • A kid whose gymnastics coach thought I had a hearing problem because of my difficulty in following direction and instructions.
  • An over emotional kid who would hide his sensitivity and tears when playing sport by injuring himself or having difficulties breathing.
  • A kid when overwhelmed would escape to hide under the table or in an imaginary world
  • A kid who told his sister that words would run off the page when looking at books.
  • A teen having to continually ask his address, how to write it, in what order and how to spell my surname.
  • A teen having to be continually told where to use punctuation and capital letters in his name and in sentences.
  • A kid who was able to say numbers in the right order one minute then reverse them the next.
  • A kid who would write backwards and not understand the direction a person should read
  • A kid with difficulties spelling, orally was easier than the written form
  • A kid who found it easier working on a computer than in a workbook
  • A kid who would be able to point out numbers when asked to find them but then if someone asked him what was that number wouldn’t be able to recognise it.
  • A kid that learnt from watching, modelling and doing.
  • A kid that could do maths in his head but on paper it meant nothing
  • A kid that could never sit down for 5 minutes, not even to eat.
  • A kid if he had to sit still, like his hair cut would then be out of control for the next hour
  • A kid who had difficulty even being still to sleep and spent little time even as a baby sleeping.
  • A kid when he first went to Melbourne was so overwhelmed by the sights and sounds he nearly ran away.
  • A kid who had to be doing something or moving even when listening to a story but would always know what the story was about
  • A kid who found writing an issue, it taking a great deal of concentration and energy to form the letters and to write with any speed.
  • A kid who found following and remembering instructions required a lot of concentration and energy.
  • A kid who had difficulty following sequence, being orderly and organised.
  • A kid who believed he was dumb

to a young man whose confidence, life skills and academic skills are continually improving.
I loved the freedom and lifestyle of being homeschooled and the one on one with my teacher; it allowed me to develop at my own pace, learn visual-kinaesthetically and learn in a very practical way.
The knock backs I have received in my sport, by not making teams and the difficulties I have had with dyslexia have meant I have developed a high level of perseverance and determination. I have also developed good observation and modelling skills; reading body language well.

I have participated in the Tasmanian State Development Program, in recent years, been in various men’s and junior representative basketball teams and received many awards for winning finals, getting MVP and coaches awards but my two greatest achievements so far were winning a bronze medal at the U/18Australian Junior Championships, a first for Tasmania in 40 years and playing basketball in Singapore. I am looking forward to travelling to the US in 2013 to play basketball.

Something I follow is “Work hard, stay focused, follow your dreams and no excuses” and one of my Basketball Coaches must have understood me because he had this saying for me “The harder you work the luckier you get” which is turning out to be so true.