From one grieving brother to another…
(Editor’s note: This letter appeared on the Facebook of the Australian football player Cameron Cullen whose own brother died on a surf trip earlier this year…)
“An open letter to Mick fanning from one Aussie to another! Hi Mick, I am Cameron Cullen a 23 year old footballer playing for the Burleigh bears intrust super cup team chasing my dream of playing nrl !
In 7 days I will become a father of a little daughter to my amazing girlfriend ! This may never get to you but the reason I am writing to you is because what I witnessed today has absolutely stunned me and I cannot stop thinking about it ! About 5 months ago my brother passed away on a surfing trip in the Maldives he was my best mate and it absolutely ripped me apart !
3 days after his funeral I played a game of rugby league against tweed heads! On the field I could not stop thinking about him about the last day we spent together the last phone call we shared the picture of his body in the coffin at the viewing I cried on the field in the sheds at halftime at half time, full time I was a mess !
3 days after his funeral I played a game of rugby league against tweed heads! On the field I could not stop thinking about him about the last day we spent together the last phone call we shared the picture of his body in the coffin at the viewing I cried on the field in the sheds at halftime at half time, full time I was a mess !
And I consider myself to be pretty mentally tough I have done 3 nrl pre seasons 2 with broncos 1 with cowboys and been put through some brutal stuff but it had nothing on this ! We lost and I can’t even really remember what I did in that game! I can remember having all my family and friends on the hill supporting me but I just felt numb I was and still am struggling to cope with the fact he is really gone ! I find it hard at the moment to be motivated and inspired I find it a hard enough task to be the happy out going person I once was ! But seeing what you did today lifted me !
Not only have you been through this pain before losing a brother but to have to go through it again and find out the morning of one of your most important competitions of your career chasing a 4th title win is just unfair ! Many men tough as nails including my self would fall in a heap…
Not only have you been through this pain before losing a brother but to have to go through it again and find out the morning of one of your most important competitions of your career chasing a 4th title win is just unfair ! Many men tough as nails including my self would fall in a heap !
You went out and surfed one of the best heats at the pipe masters and won ! Keeping your title hopes alive ! You are an absolute inspiration not only to me but many people in Australia and across the world ! Thank you so much for the strength and courage that you showed today it gave me hope that I can push through this !
I’m writing this today because regardless of where you finish your world champion in my eyes !”
Im with you hank! so sad! well written letter with good intentions!
I’m fairly in with Nick Dee on this one. WSL’s packaging of Mick the Hero was a bit much for me this year. On the up side, he did serve to remind us that Bruce is a total dickwad.
So that tarnish’s Mick? The media hound Mick , his sponsors/marketing managers do their job , and you then think that Mick is out there using the dramas he has had in his life so he can…..???….get more publicity , …..do you think he’s on a bonus or something for how much Publicity he can get??
So funny to here all the whingers complain about the WSL/surf media , but you judge Mick on whats in the media , and then watch the WSL….what a miserable existence you have watching and reading stuff you don’t like!
Cameron Cullen, YOU are an inspiration.YOU show a strength of character sadly lacking in too many people today ( take note Nick Dee). To bear your soul as you did in an open forum takes true courage. I lost my Dad to cancer just over two years ago and it totally devastated my family and I. He was just not my Dad but my teacher, mentor and best mate. I felt numb and lost just like you did. I felt like like there was so many things that we had left unsaid and undone. But you know what? That’s not what he would have wanted me to think. He would have wanted me to keep going with my life, to honour his passing by getting on with life and achieving what I had not yet achieved. And, after a period of feeling sad and lost, I did just that. You will NEVER forget your brother and you will NEVER totally lose that empty feeling in that spot in your heart for him,but, you will eventually remember all of the great times you spent together. If, by writing a letter to Mick, it helps you with this process, then more power to you. Inspiration comes in many forms and if a true Aussie legend can lend you this inspiration, good for you and good on him. Hang in their young man and know that many, many good people in this world feel for you and feel with you. Have a merry Xmas and celebrate the life your brother lived, just as he would have wanted you to do.
You’re a tool!! Story above is about drawing strength and inspiration from adversity NOT that the Fannings did/or did not return to Oz to comfort family. Who are you to judge, when you know nothing about the family or the circumstance about getting back home flights etc. Fuck off as well.
she couldn’t get back to Australia till the next day , as the flights leave in the morning , and yes mick and her were out of here as quick as possible, so an apology is in line. As for Nick ,wow you must think everybody is the same as you , if one of your family members died , ah you’d just show no emotion , you sound like a hard callous prick , have you ever met Mick , or do you just judge him on what you read and watch from your arm chair? Do you even realize how much good Mick has done in the world , do you realize how when someone loses a friend/family member there is something called emotion , sadness ,loss and yeah we then have to deal with these emotions and hopefully what doesn’t kill ya makes ya stronger .Or in the face of enormous adversity you overcome them, and become a better person. I love the way you criticize about the whole media circus the WSL , but still watch it…hmmm , now that really tells a story!
Thanks Maurice. I have no argument against the essence of what you posted. And, like you, I like to watch the competition (thus must endure the WSL). For me, if Mick won the title, it would have been MF overload again. My objection is to the ‘deification’ of MF the WSL are trying to do. Since Mick didn’t win the title, is there ceaseless media about the death of Peter? No. If Peter was really to be honored, why should it matter if Mick won or not? I am objecting to the use of Peter’s death for marketing (money making) purposes. Regards.
Nick , you really cut loose personally at Mick and Andy ,who I know and knew very well. one a very flawed genius , and the other such a good bloke he won’t even tell the media to back off. This is possibly the only weak thing about Mick.Andy was one of the biggest hearted guys you would ever meet , so I was pretty disappointed in your personal attacks and can see your frustration with the media and WSL , but the media/Paparazzi/sponsors doing their job , is just that ……I had a lot of very negative feedback about your posts , just lighten up on characters , and just bash the organisations!
Thanks Maurice. I am not attacking those guys, especially Andy. If I give that impression, I apologize. As a spectator, I really loved Andy & still watch his surfing often. His personality was so lovable &, conversely, his passing heartbreaking. Yes, I cried, also. I was just pointing out the struggles people in general have with dealing with death & how misguided I think it is to create a superhero or superman out of someone that can win a surfing contest when their brother has passed away the evening before. In no way I was ever implying Mick is not a good person. I am sure Mick is a top bloke. I was saying he is not the new Messiah as the media & WSL would have liked to create out of this event if Mick won the title. I also do not wish to disrespect Cameron Cullen. I only reiterate that wishing to perform at sport after the death of a loved one is not really something to aspire to. If someone said to me: “On the field I could not stop thinking about him…” i would say that is perfectly normal. That Mick could focus at Pipe; he was surfing with competitors who were giving him full support, such as Kelly & even Adriano. I am not disrespecting the deceased. It is the opposite. Regards.
Did you add all the exclamation marks BeachGrit?
I suppose I am being so vocal on this matter because I am completely sick of the WSL. (Maybe I should get some therapy!). The WSL commentary team & the surfers have now become like an incestuous family who are ‘stereotyping’ or ‘pigeon holing’ the various personalities. Its like a bad family, where the parents perceive or judge their individual children in one way in terms of character traits. Where as previously, I had no complaints because we watched surfing comps rather than on ongoing ‘Days of Our Lives’ drama. Previously, each surf company ran their own comp with their own commentators. The surf comp & commentary was in-the-moment (rather than the repetitive regurgitated garbage of the WSL and their incestuous relationships). The same people saying the same old things about Mick since the shark attack has reached an unbearable saturation point.
I read all of your comments before saying anything but you sound like a total prick. Maybe you’re the one person on the planet who doesn’t have their own demons. Micks brother obviously did. Andy clearly had his, no question. Sure, I agree that the WSL is a joke in the way you’re talking (I’ll never like Turpel or Potter), but don’t talk shit on someone carrying on with their life after a loss like that. People grieve in different ways. If you have ever been around someone who’s lost someone like that you would know that you just need to be there for whatever they need. Sorry but fuck off Nick,
totally agree FUCK off Nick. Get off your fucking self righteous high horse go and hang with Freerider on Inertia and his inane wavepool comments.
The story was about an open letter this guy wrote, and if this footballer could take something from Micks strength in his situation – well great for him
Couldnt agree more.
Where the fuck is Negatron when you need him?
Pornhub’s No1 Mod is a busy man…
It is not about being ‘strong’. It is about being ‘open’ or in touch with your feelings. I have counselled many people in my life. They are generally unable to express themselves and you have to say to them. “You must have loved him/her a lot”. Then they breakdown & cry and are able to express themselves. It has nothing to do with being strong. There is no stage in the professionally described grieving process about being “strong”. In reality, to grieve, you must be “soft”.
This whole matter is ridiculous. What, in actuality, are we trying to honor? Are we honoring the brother who died? Or are we honoring an ability to SUPPRESS one’s feelings & emotions towards the death of a brother? Is the ability to suppress what one feels, in the face of an adrenaline charged media & sporting event, something to be really honored? I recall attending a funeral & wake for a high profile death. Due to the high profile nature of the death, the family of the victim were basically pumped up on adrenaline. It took the family member, who was my friend, some months to calm down from the high profile death and grieve properly. This Mick stuff is all bullshit & parasitic media attempt to create a superhero out of nothing. Because most people struggle to deal with death of loved ones, those strugglers look upon the Mick as some kind of hero in their personal hope to be able to shut things out. Worse, there is so much stereotyping going on. It is stereotyping how everyone must feel towards the death of a brother. In reality, different individuals deal with death differently. Also, different individuals relate to their brother differently, where some do not even have a close enough relationship to warrant them being overtly upset. I was pleased Mick lost the title because now he & his family can deal with whatever the death of Peter really means to them appropriately rather than spend the next 12 months performing a stereotype for the media. Lets face the facts. My impression is Mick has been molded by his marketing team and most of what comes out of his mouth is regurgitation from his sports psychologist. Mick is ‘Eugene’ yet they are trying to market him has an White Knight Aryan Saint Messiah Superman Sage Buddha.
I’d absolutely hate to go for a pint with you
Thanks. I don’t drink alcohol. I try to keep my mind, conscience & feelings clear. Drinking is another way to shut things out or suppress them. Regards
That sounds terrible. If I didn’t have drugs to suppress that shit, I don’t know what I’d do.
Nothing good, that’s for sure.
Each to his own. However, you can learn more without taking drugs to suppress that shit (although it can be a tough road). Regards
Have you considered suicide? Regards
How dare you comment on someone you know nothing about…….I don’t care what your professional back ground is, when it comes to name calling and insults towards someone you have never met, you lose all credibility. Mick is not boring, he is a really decent human being unlike Kelly! As for Bruce Irons and what he has been through – you have no idea.
Perhaps this open letter was one mans path to grieving his own brother. We all do it in different ways, we all cope differently, we all process differently. While we all have issues with WSL, this article, this letter was not about them. Maybe you should get some therapy!
OK. I amended my comment, which was intended to create a sharp contrast.
Only one thing in it we can agree on……..media parasites. No argument there. I think you would be truly surprised if you actually met Mick. If your sharp contrast was comparing him to Kelly, then you are right while Kelly is very happy to talk about himself. Mick is a low key, no fuss kinda guy who actually appears to be a little embarassed by the spotlight. I suggest in future you pick your targets and show some compassion. OH and by the way, Mick did not lose the title, it wasn’t his to lose, Medina actually held it…….so I guess that means Medina lost it.
I’d absolutely love to do some hits in the bong with ya…