My name's Mary and I'm a very positive and friendly person that loves to chat and meet new people. I love learning new skills and sharing stories with people I meet. My family background is Assyrian and I was born in Baghdad, Iraq. When I was a year and a half, my family left Iraq in search of a better life for my siblings and I. This took us on a 6 year journey, living and travelling from Bulgaria to Greece, until we arrived in Australia in 1999. Since then, we've been blessed to call Australia home!
Since graduating university, I had always wanted to volunteer and give back to the community. When I saw an opportunity with Blinds Sports & Recreation Victoria, I knew I had to immediately apply! I love the impact that the organisation has on so many peoples' lives who have a vision impairment.
Each week, Cathy and I walk for about 2 hours around our area. We're blessed to have lots of parks, lakes and walking trails near us, so we always enjoy the sound of nature on our walks!
There's so many things that I enjoy about volunteering - I love that I get an opportunity to see Cathy each week, spend time in nature together and get fit whilst doing it! I love that Cathy and I get a chance to catch up on our week and share stories about what's going on in each other's lives. Also, I think one of the greatest things about volunteering is that you get to develop a genuine friendship, and you don't see it as 'volunteering', but as going out to spend time with your friend.
Cathy and I have developed a great friendship over the last 2 years. I think she enjoys that our walks give us both an opportunity to catch up on each other’s lives on a weekly basis. Cathy is also very active, so I definitely think she enjoys the walks as they help to keep her active and maintain her fitness levels.
Written by Volunteer Mary.
Cathy, Mary's walking companion, participates in the BSRV 'Walking with Willpower' program and enjoys the many benefits of joining in. Cathy said "Mary is an inspiration. We have good talks on our walks and she keeps me motivated with my mobility and fitness."
BSRV provides many opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, get active and enjoy the company of others. Our great program co-ordinators arrange a variety of wonderful outings which may include a poetry reading, a talk, a tour and lunch. If you or someone you know would like to join a walking group or find someone to walk with in your local area, please contact us. We'd love you to join us and join in.
To join in as a participant or volunteer, please email rachel@blindsports.org.au or call Rachel on 0493 105 800.
