John Lui, National Manager
Born profoundly deaf, uses voice to communicate and has one Cochlear implant in his left ear, John joined the team in 2013, bringing loads of life experience as a deaf teenager who has been to different primary and high schools both in Australia and overseas. Even more, John is Australia’s only deaf Junior Development and Club Professional qualified tennis coach from Tennis Australia, and has been playing for Australia at Deaflympics since 2003.
Sherri Brereton, QLD State Manager
Sherri is responsible for delivering all programs in Queensland. Sherri comes from a sport and recreational background she has wealth of experience in working for not-for-profits.
David R, NSW Mentor
David was born profoundly deaf and depends on his one cochlear implant to communicate orally. He was raised in a hearing environment in Wollongong attending as the only deaf child in a main stream school. He later graduated from University of Wollongong.
Alex, QLD Mentor
Alex has high frequency deafness in both ears and sports a minor lisp as a result – he thinks it makes him sound cool, others may think differently. Alex works in adult learning, mainly with information technology, and loves spending time with his wife and child, who constantly remind him to wear his hearing aids.
Rikesh Jeram – NSW Mentor
“I have been a part of Hear 4 You since 2009 as a mentee and have witnessed first-hand the benefits of being part of such a vibrant community. Since 2020, I am pleased to be a part of the mentoring team with a wealth of mentoring and coaching experience to provide guidance to the next generation of teenagers.”
Stephen Tang – NSW Mentor
“My name is Stephen Tang. I’ve grown up in the leafy suburb of Killara on Sydney’s North Shore. I completed my schooling at Barker College in Hornsby and im currently studying my masters in Audiology at MQ.
My experience with hearing loss first started when I was first diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of about two and a half years old and started attending The Shepherd Centre at around three years of age. I have a moderate to severe conductive loss in both ears. ‘I am currently completing my final year of my Masters of Clinical Audiology at Macquarie University. My hobbies include Horology (the studying and collecting of watches and other time pieces), building and researching computers and motor sport and camping. I also currently operate my own business dealing with financial instruments.
My goal once I graduate is to open up my own audiology practice where I can implement the lessons that I have learned as a patient in order to give my community the best hearing healthcare there is.”
Christabel Webber – QLD Mentor
“My journey with sound began early on; born profoundly deaf, I was introduced to hearing aids as a little one, and later on, I was graced with two cochlear implants that wonderfully changed my perception of the world. They’ve been a game-changer, enriching my life with every note and every nuance.
I spend my weekends camping under the stars, or at the family farm or at the beach sharing laughs with friends and family, and enjoying the loyal company of my golden retriever. These simple pleasures are the highlights of my days.
Having a hearing impairment hasn’t held me back; it’s taught me to approach challenges with creativity and resilience. I completed the Hear For You program in NSW as a young teenager, and it was a transformative experience. It didn’t just teach me how to navigate the world with confidence; it showed me that ‘can’t’ isn’t in my vocabulary. I loved every moment of it, and it has undoubtedly shaped the person I am today.
So, here I am, proving every day that being deaf doesn’t mean you can’t do things—it just means you might do them a little differently. It’s about embracing the unique way you encounter life and finding that, sometimes, it’s the different paths we take that lead to the most extraordinary destinations.”
Siobhan McAlary – NSW Mentor
“Hi my name is Siobhan, I work at The Shepherd Centre and enjoy reading and spending time with friends and family.”