EPISODE 27
Moustafa Ardati
In this episode of What Are We Drinking?, Rachel sits down with Moustafa “Moustie” Ardati — counsellor, coach, speaker, dual international and founder of Stay True Be You — for a big-hearted, funny and honest conversation about cerebral palsy, backing yourself and refusing to let anyone else set your limits.
Moustie was born with cerebral palsy after a first few weeks that were life and death. Growing up in a Lebanese family where the doctor’s word was final, he learned early that the best way to change what people thought he could do was to go and do it, usually when nobody was watching.
He shares what it took to move from a specialised school into mainstream high school, rebuild his English from the ground up, get into the only uni he applied for, and go on to represent Australia in 2014, becoming a dual international within four months. Now he’s working on his doctorate, researching the mental health of adults with cerebral palsy, and chasing a spot at the 2032 Paralympics.
Rachel and Moustie also get into reading body language, why emotional intelligence matters more than IQ, how he builds clients up before peeling back the layers, what happens when a venue isn’t accessible, and the NDIS from the perspective of a self-managed participant. Plus some Bulldogs vs Panthers banter.
And, because this is What Are We Drinking?, Moustie joins Rachel over a Gloria Jean’s Oreo shake. It’s a choice he says sums him up: a big kid at heart who never orders anything just to impress.
On being one of the first, Moustie is clear. It’s good to be the first, but he wants to make sure he’s not the last.
This episode is funny, warm and unexpectedly hard-hitting.