Background

I am 62 years of age.

My eye condition is retinopathy of prematurity. I was born 13 weeks premature and growing up my vision was limited to light perception only. Since the age of 25 I have had no vision. I met my husband, who is also blind, through various programs such as Square Dancing and walking.

Which sport you play and why?

I am the President of the Blind Square Dance group, which involves a combination of sighted and low vision participations. I am also a participate in the walking (Walking with Willpower), blind tennis, blind table tennis and yoga programs.

Experiences you have had through Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria and how our programs have helped you? 

All the programs have helped me in different ways.

Square Dancing has kept my mind active and has improved my movement and co-ordination. The walking programs keep me fit and blind tennis hones my listening and co-ordination skills.

“The colouring program has given me the opportunity to be able to colour in between elevated lines – something I never thought I would be able to do.”

Most of all the programs are fun and a good way to meet with other blind and sighted people.

Your aspirations? 

To exercise and keep fit and mix and meet with new people.

What is important to you? 

I am competitive but most of all I enjoy mixing with people and learning new skills. These programs give me the chance to do that.

What motivates you?

“My ambitions and my desires and my need to explore and get involved.”

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Background

I am 71 years of age and I lost my vision in stages between 1993 and 2000, due to multiple bi-lateral retina detachments.

Which sport you play and why?

I play lawn bowls, which I commenced a few years prior to losing my sight.  I enjoy the gentle exercise, friendly social connections too.

I compete weekly in Bowls Victoria Metropolitan bowls competitions, I also play social bowls weekly with vision impaired and sighted bowlers.

Experiences you have had through Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria and how our programs have helped you? 

I have competed locally, nationally and internationally as a blind bowler, with financial support and encouragement from Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria and Blind Bowls Victoria.

Your aspirations? 

I would like to continue to play Metropolitan pennant bowls with my local bowling club and continue playing as a member of Blind Bowls Victoria throughout the pennant season.

What is important to you? 

To keep playing well enough and improve to a level where I am comfortable to apply for a position on the Victorian team to compete in yearly National blind bowls competitions and to continue to maintain fitness and bowl well enough to maintain my position playing in Metropolitan pennant games; to encourage other vision impaired and blind people to try lawn bowls for the reasons I have gained from the sport.

What motivates you?

“The need to have a purpose in life and the competitive spirit I have and to socialise with other people with varying levels of sight.”

The post Meet Maree – she’ll bowl you over! appeared first on Blind Sports Victoria.

About Jonathan

It’s not often you come across a combination of raw talent, steadfast focus and sheer determination, but in Jonathan Goerlach, you’ll find this and more. As a relative newcomer to the sport of Paratriathlon, it’s hard to decide what’s more inspiring – his achievements with his disability or the fact he’s made such incredible progress as a paratriathlete in such a short time. It’s probably a bit of both.

Jonathan’s Story

Raised in Nowra, Southern NSW, Jonathan Goerlach was diagnosed with hearing loss when he was three and has been wearing hearing aids since. Fiercely passionate about sport, even as a youth, for Jonathan it was a case of which sport he would focus on as he excelled at whatever he tried.

However after years of bumping into things and brush-offs from optometrists, at 15, Jonathan was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type II – a hearing and degenerative visual impairment.  Having lived for sports, the first thing he asked was, “Will I still be able to play sport?”  Jonathan remembers the look on his Mum’s face. The car ride home was the only time he cried about it. Jonathan gave up sports completely as his eyesight started to deteriorate. If he couldn’t do it well, he wouldn’t do it at all.

Battling the loss of his sight, depression and the reality of life with his disability, Jonathan spiraled downwards, until, knowing he needed to take control of his life with a disability, he headed overseas for a fresh start.

While working in Amsterdam as a Sports Massage Therapist, he worked with many clients who were runners. Hearing their stories inspired Jonathan to pull on his running shoes again and to start to train seriously with a running squad.

Life changed for Jonathan with the announcement that Paratriathlon had been accepted into the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Having always been interested in Triathlon, he realised this was his sport.

And it’s now become his life.

Returning to Australia in 2012, Jonathan was noticed by the Australian Paralympic Committee and Triathlon Australia. Understandably so, as currently Jonathan is one of the fastest runners in the world in his class. Incredibly after only a short time involved in Paratriathlon, and having competed only one race, Jonathan was selected for the World Champs in 2012, which he competed in and came 5^th, only 2 minutes behind the winner.

His journey had started.

Today

Jonathan competes in the – PTVI Visually-Impaired category in Paratriathlon. He is coached by Luke Whitmore who is also one of Jonathan’s fast racing guides, which is a must for Jonathan so his guide doesn’t hold him back from being as fast as possible! Jonathan is also guided by Physiohealth’s Simon Hearn who will be racing with Jonathan at the 2017 Elite Paratriathlon World Championships in Rotterdam this September. If his paratriathlon ambitions weren’t enough, Jonathan is also studying at University of Canberra for a Bachelor degree in Sport Management.

Jonathan has been selected as a member of Triathlon Australia’s High Performance ‘Winning-Edge’ Squad, and in 2017 successfully defended his title at the Australia and Oceania Paratriathlon Championships for the fourth year running. He has a heavy schedule of local and international races planned for 2017 including ITU World Paratriathlon Series races. Jonathan has gathered the right people and resources around him to help him work towards his goal, race by race.

“When I was first diagnosed, my family were thinking “what now?” But for many parents of children with unique challenges, I am the “what now?” I’m what their child can be too.”

Jonathan is a regular speakerat events and is proud that he can make a difference and inspire others, particularly disabled youth.

Jonathan’smessage is not so much about his disability, but rather his ability that he’s found as a result of his disability. He can and he is.  And that’s something that everyone needs to hear and see, not just those with a disability.

“Whether you have an ability, a disability, or both, the power of sport can change lives.  It’s changed mine.” 

Quick Facts

• Commenced Paratriathlon April 2012
• Australian National Paratriathlon Champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
• Oceanic Paratriathlon Champion 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
• ITU World Paratriathlon Series Gold Coast Champion 2017
• Triathlon Australia High Performance ‘Winning-Edge’ Squad member
• Sports Massage Therapist
• Studying University of Canberra

Stats

• Born: 07/11/1982, Nowra/NSW
• Paralympic Classification: B2

Upcoming Races

• 2017 Elite Paratriathlon World Championships Rotterdam/Netherlands September 15^th 2017

Results

• 1^st 2017/16/15/14/13 Australian National & Oceania Paratriathlon Championships
• 1^st 2015 Paraduathlon World Championships (Adelaide)
• 6^th 2017 Elite Paratriathlon World Championships (Rotterdam)
• 9^th 2016 Elite Paratriathlon World Championships (Rotterdam)
• 1^st 2017 ITU World Paratriathlon Series (Gold Coast)
• 1^st 2015 World Paratriathlon Event (Elwood/Victoria)
• 9^th 2014 Elite Paratriathlon World Championships (Edmonton)

The post Meet Jonathan Goerlach – Paratriathlete appeared first on Blind Sports Victoria.

Thanks to the generosity of many individual and organisations such as Tennis Australia, Tennis Victoria, UFS Pharmacies, Primary Club and Vision Australia, the Australian tennis players made history as the first Australian team to compete oversees.

Arriving at accommodation

Playing against athletes from 14 countries, the team took on well-established nations such as Japan, where the game originated.

Classification of all participants was held prior to commencement of the tournament by an international classifier, Gaetan Li, to ensure everyone was playing in the right categories. The sight classifications are B1, B2 and B3. B1 players have no vision or no functional vision. B2 and B3 players have a small amount of useful sight within a reduced field of vision.
Raised tactile lines were used as navigational markers to assist the athletes to recognise their position on the court. The balls used are audible and emit a sound when played. Players use their heightened sense of hearing and develop their spatial awareness to track and hit the audible tennis balls.
The excitement for all players participating at this event was evident by the laughter, comraderie and enthusiasm to be part of the 1st International Blind Tennis Tournament.

Group photo with Samir

Participants and volunteers were thrilled to have the opportunity to attend this wonderful event. “What an amazing trip – what a tournament, what an experience! A big thank you to our coaching team and the volunteer guides who came to the tournament to assist us” said blind tennis player Genamarie.

Although Australia didn’t win the overall B1, B2 or B3 category, the experience and skills learnt by players was invaluable.

Congratulations to Adam for making it through to the Men’s B3 semi-final against Poland.

The champions of each category were:
B1 Male – Hirofumi Ono (Japan)
B1 Female – Aya Uchida (Japan)
B2 Male – Ximo Garcia (Spain)
B2 Female – Chizuko Hara (Japan)
B3 Male – Chris Baily (Great Britain)
B3 Female – Charlotte Schwagmeir (Germany)
A number of consolation games were held, with Sandra Knight winning the B3 Women’s consolation game against Poland and Michael Fogarty winning the B3 Men’s consolation game again Poland.

On the last day of the tournament, guess who won the “Best Fairplay Award”? You guessed it…… Australia. To be awarded this trophy as the ‘Australian Team’ was an honour for everyone on the team.

Once again, thank you to everyone for your support and for making the dream become a reality!

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2017 Adult and Junior Soccer on Biteable.

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Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria, with the support of the City of Yarra, would like to invite you to our new Ready Steady Yarra program, exploring six different Yarra City sites throughout 2016 with an emphasis on walking, learning and café dining.

When and Where:

April 27 – Fairfield Boathouse & Cafe

May 24 – Collingwood Children’s Farm & Farm Cafe

July – Victoria Park Tour

September 15 – Melbourne General Cemetery Tour

Cost: $12.50 (concession) tour + cost for lunch/coffee

If you are interested in attending please contact Miriam Bilander, Project Coordinator on 9822 8876 or miriam@blindsports.org.au

Places are limited!

Click on the following to read/download the brochure: Ready Steady Yarra

Interview:

Miriam Bilander, Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria Project Coordinator, was interviewed by Red Symons on the Breakfast Show on ABC Radio, Tuesday, 22nd March, discussing the Ready Steady Yarra program.

The podcast link can be found by clicking here. Miriam’s segment starts at 47:33.

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You can watch a video at this link: Blind Football League

The Victorian B-League will be the first of its kind in Australia and offer two competitions for blind and vision impaired footballers.

The B1 league will play with international rules, as per the Paralympics.

The second will be the B2/B3 league will for players with varying degrees of vision loss.

Sighted people are able to participate in both divisions, with equipment provided such as eye masks, head guards and playing shirts.

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