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
Let the Games Begin! 1
Thank You 1
1
Ballet Program 1
Education Awareness Week 1
Taylors Lakes Primary School 1
Malvern Central School 1
Circuit Program 1
Tennis 1
Swimming & Aquatics 1
Cycling is possible for blind and low vision people - Captains and Tandem Bikes available 1
Walking and running for fun and fitness 1
Soccer 1
CITY SENSES – Melbourne B1 Blind Football Club 1
Volunteers Need to Sell Raffle Tickets 1
Blind Bowls Victoria 1
Swinburne University 1
Back to Broady 1
Health & Wellbeing 1
Walking in Winter 1
Sponsorship 1
Facebook 1
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.
Photo below: Blind & vision impaired tennis players head to the tournament in Spain
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.
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.
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.
Photo below: Tennis players & volunteers
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.
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)
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
Photo below: Michael with Polish opponent
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
Once again, thank you to everyone for making the dream become a reality to participate in the 1st International Blind Tennis Tournament in Spain.
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.
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.
Photo below: BSRV Vice President Caroline van de Pol addressing audience
Photo below: (L) Belinda Kleverlaan & (R) Danielle Lowerson from Tennis Victoria with blind tennis team members Chris, Adam, Sandra, Michael & Genamarie
Ballet Program
BSRV are taking expressions of interest for anyone interested in participating in an adult program.
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
Education Awareness Week
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 close up but had trouble seeing things that were far away. He was born like this and sometimes his eyes would shake randomly.
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
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.
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….
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 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.
We all felt a bit sorry and sad that Prince and Chris were blind but very proud to find out what they could do”.
Malvern Central School
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.
Thank you Malvern Central School for inviting us to participate in Education Week and for having such inquisitive and wonderful students!
Photo below: Chris & Amanda answering questions from students
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.
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: Commences Thursday,
July 6
Cost: $5.20 per session (concession)
For further information or to register your interest, please contact Sandra at or telephone 9822 8876.
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.
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/sports-2/tennis/
Swimming & Aquatics
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.
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.
Children can learn to swim in a safe and nurturing environment on Sundays at the Ruyton Girls School in Kew.
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/sports-2/aquaticsandswimming/
Cycling is possible for blind and low vision people - Captains and Tandem Bikes available
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.
If you would like to participate in our tandem bike riding group, please contact Andrew Evans on email - or mobile phone - 0417 575 061 or
Richard Cole on email - or mobile phone 0427 072 493 or
Peter Labinski on email - or mobile phone 0407 808 137
Walking and running for fun and fitness
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.
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 the lookout for any donations for prizes to give away on the night. Please get in contact with Amir r Brooke f you're able to help out!
For more information contact .
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.
Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria is proud to run a league for blind football with the support ofFootball Federation VictoriaandSocial 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.
It is not too late to join into the junior or adult program. We’d love to see you.
For more information click here: http://blindsports.org.au/sports-2/blind-soccer/