Corey Rapson’s family still living a nightmare two years after his death
Two years after 25-year-old tennis coach and Victorian Government worker Corey Rapson was killed in a car crash, his family says they are still struggling with the “nightmare” of his death.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two years on from the tragic loss of their “gold” son Corey Rapson, 25, in a horror car crash in Melbourne, the Rapson family is still living the nightmare.
The vivacious young tennis coach and Victorian Government worker was the front passenger in a car involved in a collision in Windsor on June 11, 2018.
Corey clung to life in The Alfred intensive care unit for weeks before succumbing to his injuries on July 4, surrounded by devastated family and friends.
His heartbroken mother Susie Rapson told the Herald Sun every day was hard without her best friend.
“I’ve never known a child to want to do so much with his mother,” she said.
“We had such a bond. It is unbreakable.”
Corey inherited his love of tennis from his mum, travelling from their family home in Canberra to see their favourite players Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray at the Australian Open every year.
The family was still “struggling” through the “nightmare”, according to Susie.
Father Jim will never get used to walking into the kitchen in the morning and not seeing his son wolfing down breakfast before heading to the courts.
”I get up pretty early but he was always up, with his tennis racquet, ready to go,” Jim said.
“With him, everything just turned into gold.”
Corey’s younger sister, Hayley Rapson, 24, did the bragging on behalf of the brother she looked up to.
“He was extremely sporty but also really smart but he didn’t really like to advertise his smarts,” she said.
“He didn’t really talk about himself. He always just wanted to know about everyone else. Everyone he met he had time for.”
A love of Chelsea FC and the NBA kept Corey and older brother Matthew Rapson, 28, bantering into the night.
But games do not feel the same anymore.
“There will never be any closure, any light at the end of the tunnel,” Matthew said.
Corey squeezed every minute out of his time in Melbourne after moving to the ACT in 2017.
He was living in South Yarra — close to his favourite courts — while working as a tennis coach and for the Victorian Government in Minister Ben Carroll’s office.
After his death, the MP wrote to the Rapsons to tell them of their son’s “warmth and generosity”.
“For the short time that Corey was working alongside us he made out lives easier with his intellect and professionalism and that is something we will always remember,” Mr Carroll said.
While nothing will bring their remarkable young man back, the family has spent the past two years making sure Corey would never be forgotten.
This year the inaugural Corey Rapson Asia Pacific Elite under-14 Sportsmanship and Fair Play trophy was awarded at the Australian Open.
“Corey was a valued member of the Australian Open and Tennis World team and he is greatly missed,” Tennis Australia’s David Boyes said.
Melbourne friend Nick Loschiavo said he would live the rest of his life in Corey’s honour.
“He was almost an angel on the Earth, too good for this Earth,” Mr Loschiavo said.
“He was a pleasure to be around, that’s what was infectious about him.”
After a long police investigation the Bentleigh East 25-year-old female driver was charged with dangerous driving causing death.
She will appear at the County Court next week.
MORE NEWS
FEARS CONSPIRACY TALKS TO BLAME FOR LOW TESTING UPTAKE
HOTEL POINTS FINGER IN QUARANTINE BLAME GAME