There’s a lot to be said for the almost-telepathic connection between twins – and it gets taken to a whole new level with Michael and Aaron, 17-year-olds from Canberra.

They were born at 29 weeks, with Michael having cerebral palsy from birth. But the two have never let their differences get between them; they’ve always supported each other to reach their goals, even encouraging each other to team up for cheeky childhood antics.

And while Michael can be heavily impacted by his disability, he has a whole world of support reaching up to keep him going.

“Cerebral palsy affects my immune system inside and outside, and when I want my legs to do something, sometimes it takes 10 seconds to do it,” Michael says.

“Aaron, I’m glad he’s my twin. While he’s not disabled, he goes through similar things… it’s that teamwork thing we’ve always had. When people are like, ‘you can’t do that, you’re disabled’, I say ‘bring it on - I’ll try it’.”

Watch as the twins show the world what can be achieved through teamwork in this episode of Fearless Films, a Feros Care and Screenworks production setting the bar in smashing stereotypes around disability.

Building connection through teamwork

There’s something so powerful about teamwork in the world of disability. Reaching goals becomes a journey enriched with so much meaning through personal relationships and support, whether it’s through friends, family, carers or inspirational members of the community.

Michael, for example, developed a love for Power Chair Soccer after being excluded from traditional sports such as basketball or football.

“People would always say, ‘Michael is the referee’, and that really took an effect,” Michael says. “But power chair soccer includes everyone, and I like that inclusion and respect.”

Even Aaron gets to play, and be right by his brother’s side on the court, learning so much about life through inclusion.

“It can suck to have a disability, but it’s made me and my family aware of everything and everyone. Disability isn’t everything... you can learn a lot about people before you shut them out,” Aaron reflects.

The road to fearlessness

Taking hold of the confidence gained by the inclusive environment of Power Chair Soccer, Michael is ready for the next step in building his capacity and embracing his independence. Empowered by a mix of support and confidence, Michael has become fearless, and not afraid to set his sights ahead to what he wants to achieve.

“Being fearless doesn’t mean nothing hurts or I’m not scared, it means if you find something you are scared of you are willing and ready to overcome it, and make it a positive thing in life,” he said.

"That’s what I’ve done with my disability instead of fearing what it will do to me. It’s ok to have a disability... it’s not something to be afraid of, it’s something to embrace and show other people you’ve embraced it.”

To learn more about Fearless Films and watch each episode in the six-part series, click here.