The amazing shoe story behind Richmond’s after-the-siren win over Sydney

THE tale of an Indian boy with toes poking out of his shoes helped inspire Richmond’s after-the-siren win over Sydney.

AFL: Round 8 Richmond v Sydney Swans Sam Lloyd kicks the winning goal Picture: Wayne Ludbey

THE tale of an Indian boy with toes poking out of his shoes helped inspire Richmond’s after-the-siren win over Sydney.

Hugh van Cuylenburg, the founding director of “The Resilience Project”, addressed the Tigers last week.

Last-kick hero Sam Lloyd and five-goal forward Ben Griffiths were among players who acknowledged van Cuylenburg’s “dis” message after the Tigers claimed their second victory of the season.

“The presentation was about getting them to not forget about all the great things they have in their lives, despite the fact they might be a bit down on where they sit on the ladder (after six consecutive losses),” he said.

Van Cuylenburg was a volunteer schoolteacher in northern India in 2008 when he met nine-year-old Stunzin.

“Every single time he put his shoes on, he pointed to them and with a big smile he’d try to say the word ‘this’ but he couldn’t pronounce the ‘th’,” van Cuylenburg told the Herald Sun.

“He got scissors and he cut the ends off his shoes. His toes were sticking three centimetres out the end of his shoes.

“They fitted him when he was six but he’s now nine. He’d point to his shoes and say ‘dis’.

“What he was saying was ‘how good’s this? Half the kids at this school don’t have shoes. I’m lucky enough to have shoes.’

“And so that’s the story that I tell to the boys.”

Van Cuylenburg said Stunzin slept on a dirt floor and there was no running water or electricity in his community.

“He has nothing and yet he’s the happiest person I’ve ever come across,” van Cuylenburg said.

“He’s the one who taught me about the value of actually stopping and paying attention to stuff you’re lucky to have.”

Indian boy Stunzin who always looks on the bright side of life. Picture: Supplied

Van Cuylenburg didn’t see Richmond’s win live as he was working with Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday.

“I watched it on Sunday and just loved it, absolutely loved it,” he said.

“What I loved was when they were down in the first quarter, there was no bad body language.

“There was no ‘this is going to be a tough night’.

“They just looked like a happy group of guys who were pretty committed to what they were out there to do.”

Van Cuylenburg said he was shocked to see Richmond’s players acknowledge his teachings following their dramatic victory.

“Everyone started messaging me saying ‘mate, Stunzin is getting a good run after the Tigers’ win’,” he said.

Cartoon: Macca

Brett Deledio and Hugh van Cuylenburg. Picture: Supplied

“I looked on social media. I think eight or nine of them, their only comment on social media was ‘dis’ or ‘dismoment’ which is really good.

“It’s (about) stopping and being grateful for a great moment they had together.”

The Resilience Project mentors schoolchildren and athletes on the value of three key principles: empathy, mindfulness (shutting off disruptive thoughts) and gratitude.

“Gratitude is not an overly sexy concept for a group of elite athletes,” van Cuylenburg said.

“But the ‘dis’ story they just love.”

Originally published as The amazing shoe story behind Richmond’s after-the-siren win over Sydney