Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria
454 Glenferrie Road Kooyong 3144
Telephone: (03) 9822 8876
www.blindsports.org.au
Email: [email protected]
Registered Charity
Deductible Gift Recipient
BLIND SPORTS & RECREATION VICTORIA
NEWSLETTER – JUNE 2017
As the financial year is drawing to a close, Executive Members of Blind Sports &
Recreation Victoria would like to thank and acknowledge our many sponsors,
donors and supporters both corporate and government for their ongoing support in
developing and maintaining many of our sporting and recreational activities.
Without the support of our many volunteers, sponsors and donors we would not
be able to achieve our mission of providing sporting and recreational activities for
people who are blind and vision impaired.
Every dollar we receive is essential and utilised to benefit our programs. Blind
Sports & Recreation Victoria prides itself on its’ credibility and always endeavour
to meet the demands of our members and the people of Victoria who are blind
and vision impaired.
Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria celebrate our sound financial management
whilst at the same time continue to review the increasing demand for our services
and programs for people who are blind and vision impaired.
Your continued support to Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria by both volunteering
and financial commitment enables us to continue in our pursuits to ensure people
who are blind and vision impaired can participate in many and varied sporting and
recreational activities.
Maurice Gleeson, OAM
President, Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria
Table of Contents
Blind Bowls Victoria ....................8
Let the Games Begin! ............... 1
Thank You..................................................... 3
.................................................. 3
Swinburne University .................8
Ballet Program........................... 3
Back to Broady ...........................9
Education Awareness Week ...... 3
Health & Wellbeing ...................10
Walking in Winter .....................10
Taylors Lakes Primary School ...................... 3
Malvern Central School ................................. 4
Circuit Program ......................... 5
Tennis ........................................ 5
Swimming & Aquatics ................ 5
Cycling is possible for blind and low
vision people - Captains and
Tandem Bikes available ............ 6
Walking and running for fun and
fitness ........................................ 6
Soccer ....................................... 7
CITY SENSES – Melbourne B1 Blind Football
Club............................................................... 7
Volunteers Need to Sell Raffle
Tickets ....................................... 7
Sponsorship .............................10
Facebook ................................. 11
Let the Games Begin!
5 blind and vision impaired athletes have
recently returned home from Alicante Spain
having competed in the 1st international
blind tennis tournament.
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.
Photo below: Blind & vision impaired tennis players head to the tournament in Spain
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.
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.
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.
Photo below: Tennis players & volunteers
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.
Although Australia didn’t win the overall B1,
B2 or B3 category, the experience and skills
1
learnt
by
players
was
Photo below: Michael with Polish opponent
invaluable.
Congratulations to Adam for making it
through to the Men’s B3 semi-final against
Poland.
Photo below: Coach Samir with Australian tennis player Adam and opponent from 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)
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.
Photo below: Australia Team receiving their trophy
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.
Photo below: Sandra with Polish opponent
Once again, thank you to everyone for
making the dream become a reality to
participate in the 1st International Blind
Tennis Tournament in Spain.
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Thank You
As a small token of our thanks for the
generosity given by all our supporters for 1st
International Blind Tennis Tournament, an
invitation was extended to a ‘thank you’
event for our sponsors and major
supporters.
It was held at the National Tennis Centre
prior to the blind tennis program and we had
many people attend.
Ballet Program
BSRV Vice President Caroline van de Pol
was the MC for the event and thanked
everyone for their support and ongoing
commitment to the blind tennis.
BSRV are taking expressions of interest for
anyone interested in participating in an adult
program.
Photo below: BSRV Vice President Caroline van de Pol addressing audience
The program will take place in the city on a
Friday morning at 11am.
If you would like further information about
the ballet program please call 9822 8876 or
email [email protected]
Education Awareness
Week
Photo below: (L) Belinda Kleverlaan & (R) Danielle Lowerson from Tennis Victoria with blind tennis
team members Chris, Adam, Sandra, Michael & Genamarie
Taylors Lakes Primary School
Volunteers of BSRV, Chris and Prince went
to Taylors Lakes Primary School earlier this
year to talk with students about their vision
loss. Below is an extract written by the
students in year 3.
Today, during sport we met two amazing
people call Prince and Chris who were
blind. Prince could see things that were
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close up but had trouble seeing things that
were far away. He was born like this and
sometimes his eyes would shake randomly.
the ball. A few of us fell over too. At other
times the ball snuck through our leg.
It was exciting to learn that blind people can
play soccer, tennis, basketball, football and
lots of other sports. It was scary and
amazing to learn to play blind sports.
When Chris was 12 his eyes started to go
foggy. He can see a heavy cloud around his
pupil and everything looks very, very foggy.
Maryanne also came along to help Chris and
Prince. She could see properly
We all felt a bit sorry and sad that Prince and
Chris were blind but very proud to find out
what they could do”.
and they all worked together for Blind Sports
& Recreation Victoria.
Chris plays blind tennis and is going to Spain
to compete in the championship. When we
played blind tennis we were blindfolded and
we had to try and hit the ball without looking.
There was a bell in the ball and you could
hear it shaking in the ball. We worked in
groups of three. One person threw the ball
underarm and the blindfolded person tried to
hit the ball and the last person was the ball
stopper. It was really hard because you
could not see and even if you heard the bells
it was hard to know where the ball actually
was. About half of the children in the class
hit the ball.
Malvern Central School
In soccer, there was a person who had to roll
the ball to the person with the blindfold on.
Someone else told the blindfolded person if
they needed to go a little bit to the left or a
bit to the right. You had to make your feet
join into a V shape so that you could catch
the ball. This ball also had a bell in it that
went tick, a tick, a tick, a tick….
Thank you Malvern Central School for
inviting us to participate in Education Week
and for having such inquisitive and
wonderful students!
As part of Education Week, BSRV
volunteers Chris and Amanda spoke to
students at Malvern Central School about
the various activities that Blind Sports &
Recreation Victoria provide.
As Chris had recently attended the
1st International Blind Tennis Tournament
in Spain, the children were excited to learn
more about this event. With many great
questions from the students, it was great to
have this opportunity to raise awareness.
Photo below: Chris & Amanda answering questions from students
The hardest part was to try and get the ball
in the V between your feet. Some of us
thought we might fall over and some of us
even ran in the wrong direction, away from
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Tennis
Adult Blind Tennis is well underway for 2017
with 21 participants and volunteers
attending.
People with varying levels of vision
impairment participate in the program,
rotating through different tennis exercises
with the support of volunteers. Various types
of balls are used, including audible tennis
balls and various size and colour balls.
Until the development of the program,
people with total blindness had no access to
any kind of tennis activity. Now, people from
a wide range of backgrounds and ages are
participating.
Circuit Program
Commencing on July 6, Hawthorn Aquatics
Centre in conjunction with BSRV will be
holding classes in Boxing, Tai Chi and
Yoga/Pilates in 4 week blocks.
After the success of the Junior Tennis pilot
in term 1 for blind and vision impaired
children aged 5 to 15, we are in the
planning phase of another program across
terms 3 and 4. Keep an eye on our
Facebook page for updates.
For more information contact us or click
here: http://blindsports.org.au/sports2/tennis/
If this is something that interests you, why
not come down and give it a go!
Where:
Hawthorn Aquatic Centre
1 Grace St, Hawthorn
(near Glenferrie Railway Station)
When:
Cost:
Swimming & Aquatics
Commences Thursday,
July 6
BSRV offer multiple swimming and aquatic
programs for those who wish to gain
confidence in the water, learn to swim or just
have some fun.
$5.20 per session (concession)
For further information or to register your
interest, please contact Sandra at
[email protected] or telephone
9822 8876.
Every Monday morning a welcoming and
friendly group of blind and vision impaired
adults participate in water aerobics, gym
work or fitness boxing at the Oasis Centre in
Dandenong.
5
Children can learn to swim in a safe and
nurturing environment on Sundays at the
Ruyton Girls School in Kew.
Evans
on
email
[email protected]
or
mobile phone - 0417 575 061
or
Richard
Cole
on
email
[email protected] or mobile
phone 0427 072 493
or
Peter
Labinski
on
email
[email protected] or mobile
phone 0407 808 137
North Lodge Swimming Academy in
Dandenong provides swimming lessons for
blind and vision impaired adults and children
every Saturday.
For more information contact us or click
here:
http://blindsports.org.au/sports2/aquaticsandswimming/
Walking and running for
fun and fitness
Cycling is possible for
blind and low vision
people - Captains and
Tandem Bikes available
Supported by BSRV, Achilles Melbourne is
your local all abilities social running and
walking club. Whether you are blind or
vision impaired or you wish to run or walk
beside someone who is blind or vision
impaired this club is for you. Members meet
every Sunday at The Tan running track and
on Saturdays at some parkrun clubs across
Melbourne and Geelong. If you love dogs,
there are also opportunities available to
mind the guide dogs whilst their owners are
on the running track.
Are you blind or vision impaired and do
you enjoy exercising through bike riding?
If so, we are ready to take you cycling on
a tandem bike.
We are a group of people with Tandem
Bicycles and authorised by Blind Sports
& Recreation Victoria to offer tandem
bike riding, including touring the sights,
sounds and smells of not only Melbourne
and suburbs, but also regional Victoria.
We have the skills and equipment to
provide a friendly and safe cycling
experience to anyone wanting to ride on
a tandem bike.
Along the way there will be rest stops,
coffee/tea stops and stops at other
interesting places.
Achilles also help their walkers and runners
with
guides
and
registration
into
Melbourne’s iconic fun runs such as Run
Melbourne (July) and Melbourne Marathon
(October). If you’d love to participate in a fun
run in Melbourne or a regional area (they
love coast treks) as a blind or vision
impaired participant OR a guide they’d love
to meet you.
Can't run fast but reckon you're a fast
thinker? Achilles will be holding a trivia night
on the 5th of August in the evening. Please
save the date! In the meantime, they are on
If you would like to participate in our tandem
bike riding group, please contact Andrew
6
CITY SENSES – Melbourne B1
Blind Football Club
the lookout for any donations for prizes to
give away on the night. Please get in contact
with Amir at [email protected] or
Brooke
at [email protected] if
you're able to help out!
For
more
information
contact
[email protected].
The City Senses community program has
just been launched here in Melbourne. City
Senses is Melbourne City Football Club’s
blind football program, a partner of Blind
Sports and Recreation Victoria.
It provides opportunities for people who are
blind or vision impaired to play B1 blind
football, the blindfolded version of blind
football that is played at the Paralympics. It
also aims to raise the profile and increase
the awareness of the sport in Victoria
through workshops for schools, blind sport
and football organisations.
Soccer
Blind Soccer, or Blind Football, is an
internationally recognised sport played at
the Paralympics. It is played outdoors by
vision impaired athletes on a 42m x 22m
pitch with side kickboards. There are two
teams of five; four outfield players and a
goalkeeper.
The City Senses training sessions will
commence in August, you can check out all
of the details on the upcoming season on the
Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria website
and facebook page. Participants of the
program will also coordinate the One City
Disability Awareness program at secondary
schools in Melbourne, a program using blind
football as a tool to engage students about
disability, and blind football.
Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria is proud
to run a league for blind football with the
support
of Football
Federation
Victoria and Social Goal, kicking off again
from April until July.
NEW in 2017 is the Junior Soccer Program.
Throughout May, June and July, blind and
vision impaired children have the
opportunity to learn new soccer skills,
participate in some games and make some
new friends. We have great attendance in
2017 and hope to run this again in 2018.
Volunteers Need to Sell
Raffle Tickets
BSRV are working in conjunction with
Scouts Australia to sell raffle tickets.
It is not too late to join into the junior or
adult program. We’d love to see you.
BSRV will receive 75% of the proceeds of
the books sold. The books each have 10
tickets and cost $2 per ticket.
For more information click here:
http://blindsports.org.au/sports-2/blindsoccer/
The prizes are:1st prize - Kia Sportage car
2nd prize - IGA gift cards valued at $3,000
7
3rd prize - Logitech Gaming pack valued at
$1347
Plus 100 more prizes
Swinburne University
If you are able to buy some tickets or sell
some books on behalf of BSRV please
contact the office on 9822 8876 or email
[email protected]
Students
undertaking
the
event
management diploma at Swinburne
University have been busy organising
awareness and fundraising opportunities for
BSRV.
Blind Bowls Victoria
By Maree Fenech
Last week at the Hawthorn campus they
were hard at work with a sausage sizzle and
great coffee.
The team from Blind Bowls Victoria
competed
in
the
2017
National
Championships in Coolangatta from 22nd
to 30th May inclusive.
Nets were set up for those keen to try blind
soccer - many discovered it's not easy to find
the goals wearing a blindfold.
The team did very well once again with
medal winners as follows:
Our thanks to the students for raising
awareness
Photo below: Ruby, course coordinator S-J, BSRV volunteer and Zach
GOLD:
Ralph Simpson – B2 Men's singles, B2
Men's pairs with Ivan Shortis from
Wangaratta, B2 mixed pairs with Lisa Condy
from Swan Hill
SILVER:
Lisa Condy, Ladies Singles
Lisa Condy and Mary Price Ladies Pairs
Mike Donnelly B4 Men's Singles
Mike Donnelly and Peter Campion B4 Men's
Pairs
BRONZE:
Len O’Brien and Fred Pomeray (NSW)
Open Pairs competition.
Greg Kennedy won the new bowler’s
encouragement award.
Ralph Simpson won the trophy for best
overall bowler.
8
with more than its share of challenges,
loves, losses, and laughter.
The Many Ways of Seeing is an inspiring
true story of determination in the face of
hardship, the vital importance of trust and
friendship and all that can happen when
writing is revealed to be the most surprising
adventure of all.
THE MANY WAYS OF SEEING
By Nick Gleeson with Peter Bishop
‘In desperation, I look up into mum’s face. A
small face – a loving face –
The Many Ways of Seeing is available now
from all good bookstores and online at
Booktopia and Book Depository.
And the lights go out. Her face is the last
image I will ever see in my lifetime.’
Blind since the age of seven, Nick Gleeson
has spent his life learning to ‘see’ without
seeing.
Published by Peter Bishop Books, an imprint of
Ventura Press, in June 2017. RRP $29.99.
Find out more or purchase your copy at
venturapress.com.au.
Back to Broady
Growing up in the working-class Melbourne
suburb of Broadmeadows, Nick’s young life
was defined by touch and smell: learning the
shape of each shoe so he knew left from
right. Holding the huge, rough hand of his
father. Smelling the well-worn vinyl in the
family car.
By Caroline van de Pol
Life in McIvor Street, Broadmeadows was
unpredictable. Cally Egan grew up
expecting and experiencing the best and
worst of her 1960s Australian working-class
community.
Many years later, when Nick meets Peter
Bishop in the lounge room of Varuna, the
Writers’ House, he has led an amazing life
of physical adventuring. A Paralympic
athlete and captain of a blind cricket team,
Nick has scaled base camp at Everest,
climbed the summit of Kilimanjaro, and has
just returned from an expedition to the
Simpson Desert.
So chaotic were the days and nights in her
big Irish Catholic family that she often
planned her escape. Perched on the cold
terracotta roof of her Housing Commission
home and smoking a crushed cigarette
from the bottom of her mother’s handbag,
she would peer into the windows of the lowflying planes making their way to
Melbourne’s new Tullamarine Airport, and
hear her father’s voice and dream.
‘I’ll take you on one to Ireland one day’, he
promised her, often as a reward for helping
when her mother was so unwell that she
In a unique blend of memoir and
conversation – and with many insights into
the writing process – Peter and Nick find
compelling ways to explore a life journey
9
took to her bed, or disappeared to hospital
for shock treatment.
4. Ask a friend to join you for winter walks.
Having company will distract you from the
cold and ensure that you don’t use cold
weather as an excuse not to go out.
5. Save your shower till after your walk.
After walking out in the crisp cool air a hot
shower is very comforting!
6. Buy some new shoes for walking. Your
current shoes may have a small hole in
them or be a bit thin on the sole. With the
frosty mornings you will soon discover
this when walking across the damp grass,
so if you are in need of new walking
shoes, now is a good time to buy them.
Back to Broady tells the compelling story of
a young girl’s fight through disadvantage,
and the lifelong friendships that have helped
her walk the fine line between survival and
surrender.
Incredibly moving and painfully honest, this
exceptional memoir marries Angela’s Ashes
and Cloudstreet to paint a hilarious yet often
harrowing portrait of one family, and their
determination to survive.
Back to Broad will be published on 1 JULY 2017.
Find out more at venturapress.com.au
Peter Bishop Books is an imprint of Ventura Press
2 Macdonald St, Paddington NSW 2021 | 02 8060
9191 | [email protected]
Most of all enjoy the change in the seasons
and fresh air and be motivated by the fact
that walking in winter will have you fit for
summer.
Health & Wellbeing
By Suzanne Bunker
Suzanne Bunker
Bunker’s FITness Personal Training
Phone 0416180961
Email [email protected]
Walking in Winter
Winter has certainly arrived in Melbourne
but this should not be an excuse to stop
exercising.
Sponsorship
Here are some tips to enjoy walking during
winter.
Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria invites
interested individuals and companies to
contact us about sponsorship in this
newsletter,
a
quarterly
publication
distributed widely including all three
levels of government and various
departments including Department of Sport
& Recreation, VicHealth and Department of
Education.
1. Wear layers. You will start off cold but
once you get the heart rate up you will
warm up quickly, so wear a light weight
coat that won’t be heavy to tie around
your waist once you warm up.
2. Wear a beanie. We lose heat through our
head so wear a beanie to keep your body
warm while walking.
3. Move your early morning walk to midmorning when the air isn’t quite as fresh
The newsletter is well circulated through the
Australian
Sports
Commission,
a
10
number of generic sporting organisations,
numerous corporate partners – both small
and large, and other disability sporting
groups as well as the Victorian Institute of
Sport and to members of the general public.
email [email protected]
Facebook
Like Blind Sports Victoria on Facebook www.facebook.com/blindsportsvictoria
If you would like to discuss the
opportunity for sponsorship, please
contact Susan on 9822 8876 or
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Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria, 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong 3144
Proudly supported by:
11
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