About this Short Film
Ride With Tom, Jack L. Pardy (Australia, 2026) follows Tom Quick, who had a stroke aged 12 and later set out to ride a recumbent trike across Australia to raise awareness of stroke in young people. The film centres Tom’s voice and the practical realities of training, rehabilitation and family support after a crash that seriously injured him mid‑journey, presenting an unsentimental, grounded portrait of ambition, recovery and the everyday engineering of independence. Shot as a personal documentary, it will resonate with audiences interested in disability, adaptive sport and lived experience, offering insight into risk, perseverance and community care without resorting to pity or cliché — a fitting contribution to the Focus on Ability festival.
Film Details
Film Transcript
At about four to six, Tom just came in and said, "I think I've got a migraine." When he came in I thought, "Yeah, he doesn't want to go to school today." It was just a waiting game really. And then the registrar came out and said, "Look, I'm not sure if he's going to live, but if he does live, he'll be severely disabled." So that was not really what you want to hear at eight in the morning. When he woke up, I don't really know. I do remember him obviously not with his right hand but his left hand going, you know, which was a good sign.
We were driven post-stroke with trying to find things that he could do. So he came home and said, "I wanted to do COD." My response was, "Good luck with that." Then he did walk a cod.
We were having that conversation again a little bit further down the track when I'd acquired my common track, over to catch up for coffee with the mate, the one you ride around Australia, and that was really the defining moment of like, "Yeah, I'm going to do it." This time we were sort of, I think, more focused on, "Well, how can we make this work?" We thought it was a big thing, but as you do, you know, break it into smaller bits and get the first bit done.
I remember sitting on the couch watching the telly one night and a phone call came through and I said, "How you going, Tommy?" I couldn't understand what he was saying. It was like kind of Clive takes over and says, "No, Dave. Uh, Tommy's in hospital in emergency or just come out of emergency — Royal Adelaide Hospital."
A young stroke survivor who was cycling across Australia has been hit by a car halfway through his year-long journey. Tom Quick was seriously injured in the crash northeast of Adelaide, but is determined to complete his trip to raise awareness of strokes in young people. It was this out-of-control car going past us and finding a way to cut across in front of us and hit Tom. You couldn't — the driver couldn't have done it if they'd actually wanted to. I mean, it caused an enormous amount of damage. It's a miracle that he lived. And that took a century of rehab because my pelvis had been knocked forwards, so they had to realign it. So the nerves have been damaged.
A few days after he said, "I want to get back and do it again." Oh — the day after. It was the day after. And so we had a discussion and I thought, "Well, maybe, maybe you do Melbourne to the prom." When he got to the prom it was a big emotional moment for everyone on the beach at Tidal River. And he's just going, "I'm going there." So that was the start of it.
He doesn't like the word inspirational, you know, but he is inspirational. It would not have happened without the support of his amazing parents. Mum and dad — obviously they've been pillars in my life that I can't express my gratitude for. I think in the end you want your child to grow up and be independent, be a good citizen and those sorts of things. So all we could do was sort of try and build a framework around that.
You shouldn't have to have something momentous happen in your life to make you, I don't know, more appreciative of what's going on. To be honest, things can get better. Yep.
Filmmaker
Jack L. Pardy is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Jack L. Pardy.
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I love it Tommy!