Peggy Bourne Speaks of Possum

Peggy Bourne Speaks of Possum

I have never been so proud of my Possum in all my life. Despite his two broken legs and severe brain injuries he suffered as a result of the accident, he fought tremendously and bravely giving it everything he had. He did not want to leave us.

To say the children and I will miss him is a vast understatement. He was the love of my life and the greatest loving father to our children. We had great adventures and it has been the time of my life and an honour to have shared 16 years with the most loving, genuine, fair, down to earth, competitive and amazing man. He was our world. He was our Hero. As a proud Kiwi, he was passionate about and enjoyed the opportunity to compete in not only New Zealand and Australia but all around the world!! He loved rallying with a real passion.

He knew just about every corner of every stage of every rally he ever competed in and it was enthralling to watch him relive all those exciting moments. Never a bad word to say, he always accepted disappointments with humility and a smile, and was ecstatic in his and his team's successes.

Possum achieved so much in his life (having so much more to give) but not without having to work and fight for it. His outstanding professionalism and genuine friendly nature together was what made his character so endearing, likeable and unique.

His unwavering positive outlook was always an inspiration to all of us. We should draw inspiration from Possum's advice after the loss of his good friend and co-driver, Rodger Freeth (Roj), which was to talk about it, deal with it, and then get on with it. I cannot even begin to describe how devastating this has been on us. The tribute paid to Possum in the form of written support, best wishes, and love from his family, friends, colleagues, and thousands of supporters and fans from around the world have helped us immensely confirming what we all know and celebrate; that Possum was a very special man.

He is and will always be My Poss, Daddy to the children, Peter to his mum, Big Brother to his family, a great Mate to all his friends, and an enthusiastic competitor, rival, and mentor to his colleagues of the rallying community, with a personality that transcended all boundaries.

I and my family have shared Possum with a nation (and beyond) for as long as I've known him, and now the nation is sharing in my grief. Thank you. I hope Possum will remain the Legend he has become so that his children will know what a great guy he was to all of us.

Peggy Bourne

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