Friday 12th August 2016
at
Athletics Australia Head Office
Cathy Freeman Room
Ground Floor, Athletics House
31 Aughtie Drive
Albert Park, VIC, 3206
For
Victorian State Sport Associations and Victorian based National Sport Organisations
Contact
Jenny Leach at Sport Inclusion Australia for further information
Jenny.leach@sportinclusionaustralia.org.au
Sport Inclusion Australia will be hosting its next Inclusion Forum in Melbourne on Friday 12th August. Victorian State Sport Associations and National Sport Organisations will be invited to attend this session, to learn more about what it means to be an inclusive sport.
One of the Guest speakers will include Professor Jan Burns MBE, an inclusion specialist currently visiting from the UK. Professor Burns is the Head of INAS Eligibility and is in Australia as a Guest Speaker at the International Association for Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSID), forum being conducted in Melbourne in 14-19 August. Professor Burns played an instrumental role working with the International Paralympic Committee to develop classification and research which resulted in athletes with an intellectual disability being re-included into the Paralympic Games. We will also have SSA and NSO presentations, as well as the usual opportunity to engage in a facilitated networking session.
at
Athletics Australia Head Office
Cathy Freeman Room
Ground Floor, Athletics House
31 Aughtie Drive
Albert Park, VIC, 3206
For
Victorian State Sport Associations and
Victorian based National Sport Organisations
Contact
Please contact Jenny Leach at Sport Inclusion Australia for further information:
Congratulations to Tom Burrows (QLD), Andre Rivetts (QLD) and Blake Carr (NSW) on their selection in the Australian team to contest the Oceania Melaneasian Athletics Championships in Suva from 7-9 July. This will be Tom’s third Australian team having competed at the Inas World Athletics Championships in Prague (2013) and Guaranda, Ecuador (2015). Tom will compete in the 200m while Blake and Andre are making their debut. Blake in the 100m and 200m and Andre in the Javelin.
It has been a busy and exciting start to the year for Sport Inclusion Australia. From the Australian Tennis Championships in January through to the Nowra Gala Regatta and number of other events in between.
Read about what we’ve been up to in our latest newsletter. Download the March e-News
The Gala Regatta was conducted from 18-19 Feb 2016 at the Nowra Community Sailing Club in the Shoalhaven River, NSW. This was the first sailing regatta to utilise the INAS classification process. To be eligible to compete sailors needed to be on the Inas Master List, or be eligible to be on the Provisional Master List. Racing was conducted by a Yachting Australia accredited National Race Officer under the International Rules of Racing. There were ten entrants, including an enthusiastic team from Hong Kong who unfortunately were unable to be assessed in their homeland prior to travelling to Australia. The Gala Regatta was a two day event with coaching and practise racing on Thursday conducted by Terry Peek who has much experience coaching sailors with an intellectual disability. On Friday five races were scheduled in each division.
Division 1 solo (Hansa 2.3)
The experience of the four sailors in this division ranged from novice to vast sailing experience. Allister Peek of ACT won each race and showed great sportsmanship in assisting the other sailors. The other sailors in this division gained a great deal of experience for following regattas.
Div 1 Results
1 Allister Peek – ACT
2 Nathaniel Quan – Dobroyd
3 Thomas Drivas – Shoalhaven
Division 2 2-Person: 2 Inas sailors (Hansa 303)
As there was only one entry for this division, Melissa Saxby and Alsye Nelson sailed in division 3.
Division 3 2-Person: 1 Inas sailor + 1 companion sailor (Hansa 303)
This division is to support sailors who are not yet confident to sail solo or with another sailor so they are accompanied by an able bodied companion sailor. In this division three teams from Hong Kong competed, together with two teams from Australia. The 6th team was Melissa and Alsye, 2 sailors together. They achieved a commendable 2nd place, winning over the other teams with able bodied companion sailors.
Div 3 Results
1 Greg Carruthers / Chau Yen Fai – Hong Kong
2 Melissa Saxby / Alsye Nelson – Port Stephens & Pittwater
3 Alexandra Jones / Mike Rawbone – Hong Kong
All competitors then competed in the NSW Hansa Championships which was an open event for sailors of all abilities.
The 2016 Australian Tennis Championships conducted by Tennis Australia and supported by Lord’s Taverners Australia, Victorian Branch and Sport Inclusion Australia will commence in Melbourne this Wednesday 27th January. This year will see Australia’s Kelly Wren Inas Number 1 female player in the world defending her Singles title for the 19th consecutive year and Archie Graham newly crowned Inas Number 1 Male also back to defend his title after winning the previous three. This event will be fiercely contested again by Australia’s best players and an entrant from Japan and one from United Kingdom. Preliminary rounds to take place at Albert Reserve with finals day at Melbourne Park on Saturday 30th January, which will be very competitive.
The NEXT GEN ATHLETE presentation ceremony for the first round of recipients was held in December at Brisbane City Hall. The event was attended by athletes, their families, State Sporting Organisations, officials and Trustees and Supporters of the Lord Mayors Charitable Trust. Official announcements and presentations of NEXT GEN ATHLETE Round One recipients were made by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Chairman of the Lord Mayors Charitable Trust, Lady Mayoress Ann Quirk along with Robyn Smith CEO of Sport Inclusion Australia. The NEXT GEN ATHLETE Program was developed by Sport Inclusion Australia with the support of the Lord’s Mayors Charitable Trust. The NEXT GEN ATHLETE Program is an innovative way of identifying and supporting young athletes with an intellectual disability in the Brisbane metropolitan region on their athletic pathway. It will assist to link aspiring young people with an intellectual disability to Queensland State Sporting organisations, Queensland School Sport and provide the opportunity to compete at local, regional, State, National and International levels while showcasing inclusive best practice and ultimately providing an opportunity to represent Australia at the 2019 Global Games in Brisbane.
NEXT GEN ATHLETE Scholarship Recipients
Monika Christophorou – Athletics
Cameron Schefman – Swimming
NEXT GEN ATHLETE Grant Recipients
Alberto Campbell – Athletics
Ashley Kate Schlenner – Swimming
Jack Dixon – Swimming
Caitlin Kerby – Swimming
Colin Marks – Swimming
The Second Round of NGA Scholarships and Grants will Open in February 2016 for eligible Brisbane resident athletes. Details of Application process and Application Forms can be found at www.inasglobalgames.org/nextgenathlete
The 4th Inas Global Games in Ecuador proceeded after a shift in venues to Guayaquil and Guaranda due to the volcanic activity near Quito. The Australian Team pictured above included 55 Athletes and 19 staff.
The 2015 Inas Global Games, what an experience! It is hard to fully describe to anyone unless there. I want to thank every member of the Australian team and that includes Doc Anne Linton for the way you dealt with incredibly difficult circumstances. Even the way the issues on the way home, with a diversion to Hawaii, were dealt with by staff and athletes alike was commendable. As I highlighted the true test of a person is how they deal with adversity. Individuals can be fantastic when everything is going well, but it is how those individuals deal with issues when times are tough. EVERY AUSTRALIAN STOOD UP. I want to pay a huge thanks also to Aussies Michael Woods and Lorraine Landon for the work in conducting the Swimming and the Basketball events. Also to Greg Dunk, Global Games 2019 for how much work he did behind the scenes to assist. Not only did we finish on top of the medal tally, but we were wonderful ambassadors for Australia – always smiling and being respectful of our hosts and the people who worked so hard to help us. Finally to our USA friends – CEAR would not have been as enjoyable without you there with us. My friends and colleagues Barry Holman and Julie Holman were invaluable in assisting me find strength each day. Finally a huge thank you to Tracy Lawrence for her incredible role preparing everything for us prior to getting there and not forgetting Kellie and Liz in the Sport Inclusion Australia office. Enjoy your homes, beds, families, friends and remind yourself how lucky you are in comparison to many others living in Ecuador.
Robyn Smith
CEO Sport Inclusion Australia and Head of Delegation
Dear Members,
Once again we are at the end of another year and preparing for Christmas again. The year 2015 has been an interesting one indeed.
During 2015 we have had our athletes competing in a number of national and international events, all with distinction while representing their local group, state or national team. The most significant event was the Global Games in Ecuador where our athletes, in adverse conditions, showed the other 30 odd countries how good they were by finishing again on top of the medal table, a great effort indeed.
As we end the year Ausrapid has emerged as a new entity, Sport Inclusion Australia. This was a major decision for the Board to take to our Members, however I am pleased to report that they supported the change unanimously. In addition we moved to bring Vicsrapid under the SIA umbrella as well so we can better assist the development of opportunities for our athletes in Victoria – Sport Inclusion Victoria.
When significant changes such as these are proposed, it is a major consideration for our Members, so I have to thank them for their support and confidence.
Whilst in thank you mode, I must also thank our Board and our staff for their hard work and continued dedication over the year. It has been a year of challenge, but we can look back upon some very significant results.
On behalf of the Board and staff can I wish you all a very Happy Festive Season, may you find time to relax, remember those friends who have left our sides, but importantly look forward to the New Year ahead.
Thank you and my personal best wishes, we look forward to 2016.
Merry Christmas,
Wayne Bird
President
