Photo: Luke Fuda
PRESTONS man Fabian Castillo has no doubt he's lucky to be alive.
"I should have died," Castillo, 37, said.
On February 9, 2010, he was seriously injured in a motorbike accident and the father of three was told later by doctors he almost departed this world.
He had to have his right leg amputated above the knee.
But the list of other injuries were horrific for the Argentinian-born man.
Castillo had a severed liver, broken collarbone, collapsed lung, shattered scapula and eight broken ribs.
"That's why I am now a blood donor."
He said it certainly changed his life but didn't dull his spirit or attitude.
"I had always played sport — rugby league — and was active," he said.
"I am a Bulldogs man and when it's the off-season I get depressed when there is no footy."
He said the strength and love of his wife Michelle and daughters Aaiyah Ruby, 3, Trinity Jade, 10, and Gabriela Rose, 14, is the cornerstone of his existence.
Castillo, who spent five weeks in hospital and eight months recuperating and learning to walk again, has been selected in the Australian wheelchair rugby league team for the World Cup this July in England.
But he has ambitions beyond the World Cup.
"I want to represent Australia at the Paralympics in 2016 in Rio, Brazil," Castillo said.
Castillo said he is looking at other wheelchair sports, with weightlifting a possibility.
Two other Liverpool wheelchair competitors are heading with him to the World Cup, which will be held between June 26 and July 15.
They are Jason Voncina, of Lurnea, who lost a limb to cancer when a young boy, and Craig Cannane, of Chipping Norton.
Castillo said wheelchair rugby league is played in two 25-minute halves with five players on the court at one time, with 12 players in the squad.
The three recently came through a development camp at Narrabeen at which the team was selected by Wheelchair Rugby League Australia.
They also play in the NSW Wheelchair Rugby League competition.