Wish4Fish entrepreneur hooks finalist spot

Media release:

September 20 2016

Wish4Fish entrepreneur hooks finalist spot

He can’t physically hold a fishing rod and being on a boat out at sea can be a bit tricky, but for Bryce Dinneen fishing has been a lifesaver.

The Tauranga man founded “Wish4Fish”, a charitable trust that raises money to charter fishing boats so people like him, living with disability, can enjoy the rush of catching a fish.

It’s been incredibly successful, with lots of charters already and a 200-person dinner at Auckland’s Alexandra Park a couple of months ago raising $20,000 to fund even more.

Now Wish4Fish has also seen Bryce, 38, selected as a finalist in the Entrepreneur category of the 2016 Attitude Awards. The national awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of Kiwis with disability and chronic health.

Bryce’s story is one that many young people may just relate to. He was at a mate’s “Stag Do” in Wellington in 2007. He dived into the water down at Wellington’s waterfront. It was shallow. Bryce broke several vertebrae – and was paralysed from the neck down.

After almost a year at the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch he regained enough movement in his right arm in order to operate a motorised wheelchair. Bryce also had an attitude change. He realised that the one thing he could control in life was his mind set and that he needed to create a positive environment.

“You get dealt blows but you have to bounce back and realise how lucky you are,” Bryce says.

He has set up the Wish4Fish office in his home, with the help of some trusted volunteers. The funds they raise go to chartering boats out of Tauranga and Coromandel and hopefully soon out of Auckland.

“We use a couple of boats that we can access through the back and by using a small ramp,” Bryce says. “Some of us can’t hold fishing rods, but the rod sits in a bracket and by using electric reels, we can fish for snapper, kingies, kahawai – anything we can catch for the thrill of it and being out at sea. We are currently looking for a couple of accessible boats in Auckland, with skippers who get the spirit of Wish4Fish.’

“Our long term plan is to raise enough money to build our own user-friendly boat, and go from port to port so more people like me can get out to fish.”

More than anything, Bryce loves the magic moments like when one of his guests, who was mostly non-verbal due to a stroke, at the end of the trip looked at him and whispered ‘thank you’. It meant the world to him.

Bryce will find out if he has won an Attitude Award at a black-tie gala on November 29 at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds.

There are eight categories in the 2016 Attitude Awards, with some new awards this year: Youth Spirit, Making a Difference, Emerging Athlete, Sporting Spirit, Spirit of Attitude, Artistic Achievement, Entrepreneur and Employer Award. The overall winner of the Attitude ACC Supreme Award is selected from the category winners and a People’s Choice winner and Hall of Fame inductee are also announced at the awards.

Dan Buckingham, Chair of the Attitude Trust, says: “Once again I take my hat off to the judges for managing to narrow down the record number of nominations we had to just 24 finalists, across the 8 categories. Now I’m looking forward to getting to know the finalists as we travel around the country filming with them and sharing their stories.

“Thank you to our fantastic family of sponsors who have allowed us to once again shine a light on some great Kiwis living with disabilities doing some great things.”

Dan encourages everyone to visit AttitudeLive.com in early November to see short films of the finalists and to vote for the person most deserving of the ‘People’s Choice Award’.

The Attitude Entrepreneur Award is one of the new awards for 2016 and is sponsored by Westpac. Sue Foley, Director Corporate Affairs says Westpac is incredibly proud to support the Attitude Awards and the Entrepreneur category.

“This category recognises truly inspirational businessmen and women who absolutely epitomise our Kiwi values - a “can do” attitude, the tenacity and passion to reach for their goals and the ability to think outside the square to achieve success," she says.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) returns as the principal sponsor of the 2016 Attitude Awards. Other sponsors supporting the awards are: Lion Foundation, Drake Medox, Barfoot & Thompson, Ministry of Health, KPMG, Manawanui InCharge, Ricoh, HealthCare NZ, Air New Zealand and NZ on Air.

ACC Chief Executive Scott Pickering says ACC is proud to be principal sponsor of the Attitude Awards for the ninth year, as well as sponsor of the Supreme Award and the Employer Award categories.

“The Attitude Awards are important because they remind us that everyone benefits when we all look at what we can do, rather than what we can’t,” Mr Pickering said. “This year’s finalists have an impressive list of achievements and ACC is delighted to acknowledge New Zealanders who live life to the fullest, achieve their goals and are role models in our communities.”

For tickets to the Attitude Awards gala evening on November 29 contact Terri Cavanagh at terri@attitudeawards.org or phone 09 378 1565.

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