At his first cricket training session when he was seven-years-old, Forrest felt so humiliated after he tripped and landed flat on his face as he ran into bowl that he pleaded for his grandfather Ern to take him home because he was ''hopeless''.
But those close to Peter Forrest say that the 26-year-old possesses an old-school toughness that's allowed him to cope with events that could have left him broken and bitter. Now, he is on the verge of making his Ausis debut during the one-day series that starts against India at the MCG today.
His mother, Vanda, died of cancer when he was 18. His father, Ian, a former Parramatta rugby league front-rower who was known as ''Brutus'', because he resembled the Popeye character, died of a heart attack in 2008 as his pride and joy prepared to play a Sheffield Shield match.
''You couldn't understand it unless you go through it,'' Forrest said. ''I have been fortunate to have good people around me like my nan and aunty. Fiancee Rachel [Barker] has been great too, but that's a given, and I am lucky to have a big group of friends.
''I suppose it comes back to the person I am. I'm not a negative person; I'm not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. There are the times when I feel really sad. I was 18 when Mum died and 23 when Dad passed away, and I remember I thought to myself, 'I'm young and have a long time to live so I'm not going to sit around and be sad'. It'd be a miserable life if you felt sorry for yourself all the time.''
His aunt Janine, who videotaped perhaps every rugby league game he played from age four then became the scorer for his cricket teams, fills in the story Peter Forrest leaves half-finished by saying ''it's hard to answer''.
''Vanda was diagnosed with breast cancer as he was about to start high school,'' Janine said. ''He was the kind of kid you needed to tell the whole truth to. I remember him at the time walking around with a medical textbook and getting his mother to point out what was going on. She went to his graduation Mass at high school, went into a coma a day or so later and then died a couple of days later.
''Peter did his HSC a month after she died, which took huge guts. The truth is, well, he didn't like school that much, but Vanda wanted him to have an education so I think he did it for her.''
On the field, the batter's mind, says Forrest, can play tricks after hours at the crease.
But Forrest, who plays for Queen sland, appreciated early in his first-class career that the true warriors were those who planted their feet and gritted their teeth when the mind and the body started to negotiate terms of the wicket's surrender.
''When you're young you think the mental stuff comes naturally and easily,'' he said. ''But as you get older and you're batting for three, maybe four hours your mind starts to play tricks; starts to think 60 or 70 is pretty good, and that's the point when you need to dig in and go on and get those big scores.
''That's the challenge, and I don't know if you can train for that mindset, but you definitely build it over time. I'm a committed batsman, like most batsmen are. In the past I fought hard for my wicket, but I think that was also done at the detriment of my game. I had pack away a few shots rather than play my natural game. This year Darren Lehmann encouraged me to relax, play my natural game and that seems to work. I will always fight hard, but I'll back myself and if it doesn't come off I'll be happy I tried.''
Forrest had visualised himself playing for Australia against India today from the moment he was named in the squad.
''You can't help but do that once you get the call. You just want to play, and if it does happen today I will make the most of my opportunity,'' he said.
