My name is Jean-Claude Arruo, I am 18 years old and have a milder case of PKU. This is just one of many, lets call them 'interesting' stories from my overseas adventures to Tunisia and Italy for the 2000 Junior World Judo Championships.

Firstly, I started doing Judo when I was eight years old and liked it very much. I was doing very well in the sport winning Gold medals in both State and National events and travelled all over Australia in the process (of course I could never had done this without sponsers such as SHS so my thanks go to them).

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J-C (left), Winners are Grinners!

So, to move things along, in August 2000 I got a phone call from the Australian Judo Federation asking me to fight for Australia at the Junior World Titles - so off to Tunisia (north Africa) I went.

Tunisia is an Arab nation boasting some of the largest market places in the world, so naturally we went there first. I was walking through the markets looking at what they had to offer and for some reason I took my 'Hot Tuna' wallet out. Immediately I had four men around me offering prices for my wallet. Later on I found out that they had never seen a genuine brand name wallet, shirt, shoes etc and it was basically like owning gold.

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Jean-Claude of Arabia....

So after I got myself out of that mess a couple of guys from the squad and I went down to the food store around the corner. I told the fellas that I was just going to get a coke and to wait for me, but when I returned they were gone. So off I went again walking the streets of Tunisia by myself, not knowing a word of Arab or French (the second language). I kept walking and walking and walking not having a clue where I was or where my team mates were. So I flagged down a Taxi, jumped in and said "Lido!" - the name of our resort. Thankfully he knew what I was on about and off we SPED!

Just as the day was looking a bit brighter...along came the police. They pulled over the Driver, booking him for speeding. Fair enough. They jumped back in their car, but came back to us just as fast. Their car wouldn't start. So out we got pushing the Police car after they kindly gave the Cab driver a ticket...it started and on their way they went. So back in the cab we got, but alas, it wouldn't start either. Jumped back out and started pushing...again. So there you have it.

The story of just ONE, and the ONLY day I went to see what life in Tunisia was actually like. I would also like to thank all the people that I need to, such as Dr McGill and all the dietitians for looking after me for so many years.

-Jean-Claude, August 2002

Ed note: Jean-Claude was only 16 years old and the youngest member of the team when this little "incident" occured. Congratulations to such a resouceful young man, and I am pleased to report both his parents are still alive and well despite having enough reason to have suffered several heart attacks over the past few years!