St Francis Xavier College, Florey (SFX), student Elijah Arranz has shown enormous strength and determination to overcome great adversity to complete his Year 12 certificate.

Elijah, 18, was in a tandem skydiving accident in 2015 which left him with a traumatic brain injury and fractures at the base of his skull and one of his shoulder blades. He had internal damage to his organs, nine broken ribs, and multiple breaks to his pelvis and his jaw. Elijah’s life was saved by his heroic instructor, Tony Rokov, who purposefully took the brunt of the fall when their parachute collapsed.

After several weeks in intensive care, and then months of rehabilitation, Elijah fought hard to recover and eventually was able to return to school. Four years on, this month, he attended his Year 12 formal and graduated close to the top of his maths cohort.

Speaking with Elijah’s parents, the whole family is deeply thankful for the support and commitment of his peers, teachers and the SFX school community.

Elijah personifies courage and determination, not letting his disability get in the way of achieving his dreams. A passionate long distance runner, his goal is to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.

We congratulate Elijah on his graduation and wish him the very best as he commences his new chapter studying accounting and business at the Canberra Institute of Technology and continues his training to realise his dream.