From Monday 15th - Friday 19th March, primary and secondary students from seven schools in the Wangaratta region will participate in Wheel Talk disability awareness program sessions. The successful program has been reaching over 15,000 students annually for the past decade, educating them about disabilities such as about spinal cord injury, the benefits of an active lifestyle, overcoming obstacles in life, minimising risky and dangerous behaviours and informing them of the range of sport and recreation opportunities available to people living in the community with a disability.
Led by Wheel Talk Presenter and Waterskiing enthusiastic, Lincoln Budge, the students will also get to experience for themselves the challenges of living in a wheelchair through partaking in a short game of Wheelchair Basketball. The week long regional tour will culminate in a Wheelchair Basketball Schools Challenge on the Saturday morning.
The Wheel Talk regional tour is being conducted to coincide with the Wheelchair Rugby demonstration to be held on Saturday. Wangaratta Indoor Sports and Aquatic Centre (HP Barr Reserve, Shilling Drive, Wangaratta) will play host to Wheelchair Rugby "Murderball" Demonstrations at 12.00 and 2.30pm on Saturday 20th March, 2010. Wheelchair Basketball and other sports will also be displayed. The event is encouraging the public to participate in the variety of sports on offer and provide them with the opportunity to play alongside current Australian Paralympic team members.
In its second year of operation, the event is a joint initiative between Wheelchair Sports Victoria and Centre Active Recreation Network (CARN). The event aims to promote accessible sports for all abilities in the Wangaratta area, in addition to profiling the many sports available to people with a disability, such as Wheelchair Rugby and Wheelchair Basketball.
Wheelchair Sports Victoria's highly successful ‘Wheel Talk' disability awareness program will also visit primary and secondary schools in Wangaratta and surrounding areas in the week preceding the event.
Entry on the day is free with spectators getting the chance to witness the fastest growing and arguably the most exciting sport for wheelchair athletes, as well as an opportunity to mingle with the players and take photos following the game. The community is also invited to participate in several of the sporting activities on offer.
Wangaratta Rugby Demo and Wheel Talk Regional Tour Media Release
For further information regarding the Wheelchair Rugby demonstration event, please contact Sport & Recreation Coordinator, Jared Keely on 9473 0133 or jkeely@wsv.org.au