This week’s Shake It Up hero is Rohan Barry a construction manager at Hutchinson Builders and v8 ute enthusiast. Rohan took time out from his busy work and home life (Rohan and his wife Jana have a young daughter called Willa and another one on the way) to support Shake It Up as part of the Gold Coast 600.

What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s

I wanted to be part of Shake It Up’s quest for a cure after hearing about the foundation through a work colleague. I’m not personally affected by Parkinson’s but I was captured by Shake It Up’s operating model and purity of motive.

Why Shake It Up Australia?

I think it’s important for people to give towards charitable organisations whether it be money, expertise or just time. Shake It Up embraces people getting involved in whatever way they can and so I was able to support the foundation whilst pursuing my love of v8 racing.

Tell us what you are doing to Shake Things Up?

With the generous help of my employer Hutchinson Builders I was able to have the Shake It Up message painted over my ute for my GC 600 race. It was a departure from tradition as usually only corporate sponsors are showcased on the track. The ute looked great and it got people talking about finding the cure.

 Greatest Challenge?

The greatest challenge was finding time to get everything organised with the ute amidst my fairly hectic work life.

Greatest Reward?

The best thing about having the Shake It Up signage displayed was feeling like I was part of the movement to find the cure for Parkinson’s. It didn’t take a lot of effort on my part but it had a great impact and got everyone talking.