After surviving a brain tumour, Corey is back in the shearing shed doing what he loves

The past two years have been intense for young West Australian shearer Corey Bolt.

After suffering a seizure in early 2022, scans revealed a 5.5-centimetre tumour on his brain.

But the hardest part of the experience has been not being able to do what he’s passionate about — shearing.

“It was horrible. I just want to get out there and do what I love doing,” he said.

Thirteen months later, doctors have given him the green light to ease back into work, and Mr Bolt could not be happier.

The first day he picked up the clippers again was one to remember.

“I loved the first day back, I was excited, couldn’t get the smile off my face,” he said.

“I felt really good, but yeah, I just didn’t [shear big] numbers because obviously I had 13 months off, so my body was trying to get used to it.”

For Mr Bolt, shearing is a family affair.

His team, including family members, welcomed him back to work with open arms.

“They were really happy, just glad that I was back,” he said.

“When I had the time off, I used to come out to the sheds and just see everyone.”

Going through treatment

The road to recovery was a difficult one for the Katanning local.

Initially, he couldn’t be sent straight to hospital due to swelling on the brain.

He had to take medication for a week first “to get the swelling down”.

“Then I went to Perth and had surgery, and then went and had six weeks of intense radiation,” he said.

“I felt pretty crook, it was pretty horrible actually.”

Throughout the treatment, Mr Bolt maintained a positive attitude with the support of his partner, and was determined to get well enough to go back to work.

“It’s just in your mind really … if you have a positive thought, then you know, you can do whatever you want,” he said.

“That’s what kept me positive, really wanting to go back to work and do the thing I love.”

Mr Bolt is still easing back into the sheds, as shearing is a physically demanding job.

Although the work is tough on the body, he is feeling better every day.

“I’m starting to get my fitness back, so it’s really good,” Mr Bolt said.