Grateful.
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It’s a word which can often be superfluous in use, but in the case of Shepparton’s Archie Daniel, it was a genuine expression of his gratitude when describing his trip to the Melbourne Grand Prix earlier this month.
He may not have been flying around the laps at Albert Park, but the 13-year-old was treated to a ‘money can’t buy experience’, rubbing shoulders with racing big wigs and celebrities alike in a weekend which the young Formula One fan won’t likely forget.
The opportunity arose through youth carer organisation Little Dreamers, which grants wishes to young people who provide unpaid care for a family member affected by disability, chronic or mental illness, substance use or frail age.
Archie’s mum Jess Rampling suffered a life-altering brain injury in January last year, which changed the family’s life drastically.
More than 14 hours of brain surgery and 26 nights in Shepparton and St Vincent’s Melbourne hospitals has greatly limited Jess’ capacity to work, drive and see, meaning her kids are often her eyes and ears.
“The procedures were life-changing in that I can no longer drive, have frequent seizures, vision impairment amongst other non-visual disabilities which has left a loss of independence for both me and my kids,” she said.
“It was really nice to have something really positive put a smile back on his face … it’s been horrible.”
You could hardly wipe that smile off Archie’s face following the F1 experience, according to Jess.
He first stumbled across the racing world through chance in Year 4, flicking through the television channels when the sight of drivers cutting around the circuit at breakneck speeds threw him for a loop.
He was hooked, and he knew it.
As time went by, he came to idolise McLaren superstar Lando Norris, so it was only fitting Archie was given the chance to be led right into the garage of his idol.
“Our guy that was assigned to us from the Grand Prix was brilliant – he walked up to the McLaren garage and said ‘I’ve got a young kid who’s a McLaren fan, can we get behind the barricade?’, and next thing we get taken through and he’s out the front of Lando Norris’ garage,” Jess said.
“He didn’t have to do that for us … we would’ve just been happy to get tickets.
“In the pit lane, he was walking amongst celebrities down there; ex-footballers, TV presenters.
“My partner and I were like ‘that’s Waleed from The Project, that’s Jonathan Brown’ ― the access was unbelievable.”
Archie’s wish to visit the auto racing Mecca was flagged by Little Dreamers, being the first request of its kind.
The family was notified three weeks prior to the event that it had scored tickets, but all the extra access was a relative surprise as the add-ons Archie was set to experience were only revealed days before the race ― and he was stoked.
“I went through the pit lane where I could see all the garages and the mechanics working on the cars. I got to hold the steering wheel of one of the drivers, Yuki Tsunoda,” he said.
“I think you have to be related to one of the drivers or work on one of the teams to go in there.
“(My favourite part) was the pit lane because all the mechanics were working to get the cars ready because it was so close to the race. That’s where we saw most of the people.
“It was like a reward for getting through the challenging times.”
Challenging is putting the past year somewhat lightly.
Due to the hardships his mother has endured, Archie and his siblings have had to mature much faster than any child should, dealing with nightmarish situations on top of the usual stresses of growing up.
“Last year I went into hospital and had an operation and I didn’t work, so the last time I spoke to Archie before he started high school, I couldn’t talk properly,” Jess said.
“He was starting school knowing I was going in for a huge operation, not knowing if I would survive it.
“That was a pretty rough start to Year 7 and high school, which is a pretty huge adjustment anyway.
“It’s been pretty scary for the kids because I still have seizures, so they’ve had to ring ambulances when I’ve collapsed on the floor.
“They’ve had to grow up very, very quickly as a result of it.”
Though Archie has a few school years ahead of him, a career in Formula One has already raced around in his mind.
He said whether it be a commentator, a mechanic or data specialist, the opportunity to relive the recent experience day in, day out would serve as a dream career.
But for now, there’s one thing he still feels, weeks on from the wish granted by Little Dreamers: grateful.
Senior Sports Journalist