Former Maitland Mercury journalist Jenny Black and her farmer husband Sam Bailey will speak at a forum held by the Tillegra Dam Community Reference Group early next month to share their inspirational story .

The Dungog event will be prefaced by visits to both Maitland and Tocal.

The aim of the forum is to provide an opportunity for the Dungog community to hear and learn from others about how they have made the most of their situation.

Sam - a farmer, pilot, public speaker and now best selling author who has appeared on ABC TV’s Australian Story - will share his life story with audiences at the three functions.

“I will be telling my story at the forum in an effort to show people that no matter what comes your way, it is possible to pick up the pieces and soldier on and turn not much into something worthwhile,” he said.

“Hopefully my story will inspire people to look forward, not back, and focus on what they have rather than what they have lost. Hopefully I’ll give them a few laughs, maybe a tear or two, and send them away with a new positive view on their own lives and what lies ahead.”

Sam will also talk about his life, from a childhood growing up wanting to be a farmer just like his dad, through to the day his life changed forever at the fork in a road in the Northern Territory and its aftermath.

The road accident turned the schoolboy sporting hero and outback jackaroo into a quadriplegic.

But Sam’s story is not one of sadness – rather of happiness. He turned tragedy into hope and beat the odds to fulfil his life-long dream of being a farmer.

Despite being paralysed with only limited use of his hands and arms, and an intolerance to heat and cold, he went home to the family farm – against the advice of the medical experts.

He learnt to ride a four wheel motor bike, which became his “legs” around the farm, devised a hoist to lift him into the farm machinery and converted tractors, the harvester, front end loader and dozer so he could drive them.

He learnt to drive a car again, travelled overseas and even tried snow skiing.

As if he hadn’t already achieved enough – he “climbed” his very own “Mount Kosciusko” when he learnt to fly an ultralight aircraft.

Sam’s story is also a story of love and romance, about how he found his soul mate in former Tamworth-based ABC radio rural reporter, Jenny Black (who worked as a journalist for the Maitland Mercury in the mid-1980s).

He proposed to her “live” on regional radio. The real-life proposal caused an overwhelming response, as listeners’ calls jammed the phone lines and the fax ran out of paper.

Their story appeared on ABC TV’s Australian Story in 2000 with an overwhelming response and then in 2006 hit the bookshelves in their book Head Over Heels - A story of tragedy, triumph and romance in the Australian Bush.

Within weeks it was on ABC Books’ best-seller list and has now been reprinted nine times.

Today the couple live on and operate a beef cattle property at Croppa Creek, in north west NSW, in between travelling the country telling their story and giving inspiration and hope to others.

They will be speaking at a combined Rotary Club dinner at Maitland City Bowling Club on Monday, August 4, hosted by Rutherford/Telarah, Raymond Terrace, Waratah and Singleton on Hunter Rotary clubs. This event is open to the public. Tickets are $25/head and bookings must be made to Terry New on 49333746 by noon on Friday, August 1.

Sam and Jenny will then speak to students at Tocal Agricultural College on Tuesday morning, August 5, before travelling to Dungog to speak on Wednesday, August 6, at 4.30pm at Dungog High School Multipurpose Centre.

Contact Brett Peterkin on 0414 389 519 for further information about the Dungog event. Everyone is welcome. For more information visit www.sambailey.com.au