Sporting Dreams Athletes

The inaugural Sporting Dreams awards presentation ceremony took place on November 15th, 2008 as part of the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Annual Awards night.

Twelve-year-old Mason Ollerenshaw dreams of becoming a Paralympian in soccer or wheelchair basketball. He took a step closer to achieving that dream when he was awarded an introductory grant by the Sporting Dreams foundation.

Mason’s mum Melinda said the grant money would be used to attend Junior development program camps, where Mason will meet other young athletes with disabilities and receive expert coaching as well as advice on areas such as sport psychology and nutrition.

Mason, who has mild cerebral Palsy, lives at Acacia Ridge and his next goal is to represent Queensland in CP football with his ultimate goal to represent Australia. Mason is also a keen wheelchair basketball player and shows potential in this sport. A boy with great determination no dream is too big for him to fulfil.

Track and field athlete James Steggell’s training has been given a boost through being awarded an introductory grant by the Sporting Dreams foundation.
James, 14, has a vision impairment caused by cone rod dystrophy, but has not let that stop him pursuing his goals to one day represent Queensland and Australia at the Pacific Schools Games, Arafura Games , Commonwealth Games and maybe even the London 1012 Paralympic Games.
The Narangba resident will use his grant money to attend training camps and competitions for junior athletes.

Jarrod is a young football( soccer) player with a never say die attitude who is determined to represent Australia.

Competing in a sport called 7-a side CP football, which is for athletes with cerebral Palsy, Jarrod is not one to be modest about his potential. He states his goal is to be the best player in Australia for his classification (c8), and is training hard to make his goal come true.

Cp football follows the rules of the International Federation of Associated Football (FIFA), with some modifications. There are seven players on the field rather than 11, the measurements of the playing field are smaller, there is no offside rule and throw-ins may be made with only one hand. This sport is intended for athletes with cerebral palsy and a ratio of players from varying levels of disability must be maintained. The match consists of two halves of 30 minutes.

Jarrod was awarded an introductory grant by sporting Dreams. The grant funds will no doubt come in handy, as Jarrod has had to make the tough decision to stop playing mainstream (able-bodied) football on weekends in order to work and earn money to fund his own travel costs.

The 15-year-old grade 10 student has amazing family support, as his father Jay Larkins is the coach of the Queensland 7-a-side football team. He says Jarrod has a lot of potential.

“Jarrod has always been a pleasure to coach. His never say die attitude and will to become the best in his sport are great to watch. He trains well and as he matures is improving with his self motivation, especially for his age. He has displayed ability way above his age and does not allow his disability to hold him back.I feel it is not a matter of if he represents his country but when.”

At 14 years of age, sprinter Rachael Dodds is going places fast- literally. Just 12 months after taking up the sport, this August she broke the 800m world record on the track for her t35 classification. A few days earlier she had unofficially broken the 400m world record, but was unable to claim it due to a failure with the electronic timing system.

The Hawthorne resident is both surprised and ecstatic with her results, saying “in the past six months I have achieved some personal goals I thought would take me another couple of years.”

A typical week of training involves 5-7 sessions. Two are on the track, and the remainder are cross training, alternating between power walking, slow jogs, swimming recovery sessions, pilates, school physical education lessons and spin sessions on a stationary bike.

In recognition of her results and commitment Dodds was named in the Shooting Star squad by the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association, which provides up and coming junior athletes with the chance to meet other athletes, experience living in a team environment and receive expert coaching, nutrition and sport psychology advice.

Now she has been awarded a Sporting Dreams introductory grant, which she says she will put towards travel and accommodation, so she can attend more competitions-like the Pacific School Games in Canberra in November 2008.

Rachael is committed to maintaining her body so she is in peak condition to perform at her best.

“Running always makes my body tight and my body is never in the best shape so mum and Dad pay for remedial massage and physio every week.

This all contributes to my long-term goal, the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Morgan is a dynamic and inspirational young sprinter whose personal motto is when we hold back on life, it holds back on us.

At just 16 years of age, she certainly hasn’t held back in her sporting career challenging herself to compete in the 100m,200m,400m,800m and 1500m.

But there was a time when she did hold back. Morgan, who was born with cerebral palsy, was too embarrassed to participate in school sport, so she didn’t try running until 2004.

Now her coach is Glenys Nunn-cearns, 1984 Australian Olympic heptathlon Gold medallist.

One year after taking up the sport Morgan represented Australia at the Pacific School Games, winning gold medals and broke 3 national age records. She has competed at counless state, national and inter school championships winning a swag of medals and breaking numerous national age and open records.

Morgan just missed out on the chance to compete in Beijing, having been selected in the shadow squad, a shortlisted group of athltes from which the Australian team was eventually chosen. This is a great honor in itself, and something Morgan should be very proud of.

Her assistant coach Leanne Smith praises Morgan for her attitude and commitment.

“Morgan rises to the challenge of each training session without compromise and completes training still smiling. If ever there was a pin up athlete needed to promote sport to students with difficulties and to hold high moral ethics, here is a perfect candidate.Morgan-achieving results with hard work and belief in yourself.”

When she is not running, Morgan enjoys playing with her dog Floyd, horse riding, swimming, spending time with her friends, cross country running, listening to cd’s, trying new experiences and going on holidays with her family.

Her ultimate aim is to compete at the Paralympics.

Sam is a promising young wheelchair racer who broke the national age records for the 100m, 200m and 400m during 2008.

He took up wheelchair racing in 2001, the same year he competed at his first Junior Nationals at Nudgee College in Brisbane. At this meet Sam, who was born with spina bifida, was classified as t54, which is for athletes who are in a wheelchair due to spinal cord injury or amputee athletes.

Since then he has established himself as one of Australia’s best T54 male racers. He won bronze at the 2008 national championships, competing in open competition against adults.

During 2008 he also completed successful tours of the United States, Canada and Switzerland where he was part of the men’s 4 x 100m relay team that won gold for Australia.

These trips, plus the required equipment cost Sam’s family $12,000 in the past year. Sam now needs an upgrade of his equipment, including a new frame and discs for his racing chair. So there is no doubt his Sporting Dreams development grant will come in useful.

On top of his outstanding sporting skills, Sam displays leadership skills and was named Queensland captain at the last Junior Nationals.

Sam’s father says these experiences have produced a new found professionalism and he is aiming for the very top.

Sam is now progressing through years 11 and 12 at high school in Toowoomba, where he has chosen to distribute the workload over three years so that he has more time to focus on his sport.

He hopes to compete in London 2012.

Darron is an elite handcyclist and has recently been appointed as the Queensland handcycling head coach. Originally from the United Kingdom, he competed as a triathlete before becoming paraplegic in an accident. Two years later, he moved to Australia to study Sport Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It was then that he took up hand cycling competitively, and he hasn’t looked back.

Since 2006 Darron has competed in road races and individual time trial events at the national and state championships. In addition, he has twice completed the gruelling wild west handcycling tour in Perth, placing 11th in 2006 and 9th in 2007.

2008 has been his most successful season so far. Darron won both the individual time trial and the road race at the national championships, after finishing second and third at the State championships a month earlier. He also finished in second place overall in the South East Queensland handcycling series, which he helped organise.

Handcycling is a relatively new sport, making its debut at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Darron has been instrumental in the development of the sport in Queensland, organising the South East Queensland handcycling series, as well as helping to start the inaugural national handcycling series 2008/09.

Darron says the Sporting dreams grant will enable him to focus on training, rather than working to earn money to pay for travel to competitions. It will also help him to pay for extra training costs such as regular massage, nutrition and strength and conditioning programs.

“I am a sport scientist and understand that all these extras help with racing performance, but they are all extra costs,” he said.

Darron is now firmly focussed on the future, and his goal to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

To reach this goal he plans to compete in the 200/09 National handcycling series. In 2009 he aims to compete at the National championships and at the Arafura Games.Hopefully this will lead to an opportunity to compete at the world Championships to be held in Melbourne in 2010.

Lucy is a 15-year-old champion sprinter from Caloundra. Lucy, who was born without a radius bone in one of her arms, took out the under-15’s 100m and 200m for athletes with disabilities at the school athletics state championships in October 2008.

She has also competed in shot put and long jump, but is now focusing on her running.Her coach is Australian Olympian and flag bearer Denise Boyd, who is impressed by Lucy’s commitment.

“Lucy is training six sessions a week- 3 track,1 run,2 core strength and 2 gym. She is committed towards reaching her goals.”

Lucy has competed in little athletics alongside able bodied athletes, as well as at the state and national championships for athletes with disabilities since 2004 where she won numerous medals.

On top of her busy athletics schedule, Lucy takes weekly tennis lessons and was a member of the interschool touch football team from 2004-2007. When she was younger competed in swimming at the sporting wheelies and disabled state championships and the Primary school state championships in 2005.

Lucy is an all round achiever, complementing her sporting endeavours with cultural activities including being a member of her school choir, playing the violin, performing in various school musicals and plays, performing in Annie the musical and being a member of the Wakikiri state winning team in 2003 and 2004. In 2007 she was awarded her schools most improved award.

Lucy is aiming to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, after narrowly missing selection on the Australian team for Beijing.

Susan is a 22-year-old University student who competes in para-equestrian (dressage) events and dreams of representing Australia at the Paralympics.

She was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex, a rare disorder characterised by fusion of joints and absent muscle formation her legs.

She began her sporting career as a swimmer at the age of four, when she was taught to swim as physiotherapy. She went on to hold six Queensland State Games Records and three Australia National Age Records in freestyle and backstroke.

But Susan’s true love is horses. She started riding lessons when she was seven at the McIntyre Centre.

She represented Queensland for the first time at the National Riding for Disabled (RDA) Dressage Championships in 1998 and placed 1st in her warm-up test against international riders. Since then she has competed at National level as part of the state team for nine consecutive years. While learning to ride, susan competed on more than 60 different horses while longing for a horse of her own.

Susan now has her own horse, an 11-year-old Morab (Morgan/ part-bred Arab) paint gelding named 'Menora Wildfire'. He was originally used for endurance riding but was kindly donated to Susan Susan by Morgan and Morab Stud in Victoria.

Susan and Menora Wildfire are a great team. She first rode him at the 2001 National RDA Championships in Victoria where she placed 2nd twice and 3rd in Grade 1. They partnered up again at the 2002 Nationals and at the past two Championships in Sydney and Werribee. In August 2008 She rode ‘Menora Wildfire’ to 1st place in all three tests at the Queensland Riding for Disabled State Dressage Championships at Caboolture Showgrounds, QLD. She was Grade 1 State Champion for 2008 and won the Senior Highest Points Trophy for the second consecutive year

Susan’s greatest international result to date is a bronze medal at the FEI Pacific Rim Para-equestrian Dressage International, held at Milner Downs Equestrian Centre in Langley, Canada. This feat is even more remarkable when you consider that she was riding a borrowed horse because her own horse was in Australia, and she had only days to practice on her borrowed mount.

Susan was one of 12 Australian riders short listed for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and competed at the team selection trials, but missed out on a place in the team. However, Susan had overcome remarkable odds to even be at the trials. The equine influenza outbreak prevented her from travelling to the trials with Menora Wildfire. She had to compete on a borrowed horse, with just two days practice.

Susan displayed her indomitable spirit when faced with the challenge of equine influenza outbreak. While unable to ride her horse from August 2007-february 2008, she took up a new sport-adaptive rowing- and went on to win 2 gold medals at the Queensland rowing state championships. She qualified for the national championships, however was unable to compete as the event clashed with the para-equestrian Paralympics trials.

When she is not riding Susan enjoys other sports such as swimming, rowing, sit-skiing, wheelchair tennis, archery, and canoeing with the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association of Queensland.

Susan is also a keen scholar, completing her senior certificate in 2003, Information Technology certificates I and II in 2003, and a TAFE course in Horse Management in 2004.

She is currently studying a Diploma of Applied Science, Equine Studies Major at the University of Queensland.

Her aims for the future are to represent Australia at International competitions, the FEI World Equestrian Games, and the Paralympic Games.

Katie Mawditt, from Infinity graphic solutions who designed the sporting dreams website

Jarrod Larkins Law will represent Australia for the first time, after being named in the football team for the Arafura Games. The Games, to be held in Darwin during May, are a leading international sporting competition for emerging champions of the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Since 1991, Arafura Games has been held every two years in the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, Darwin. Unlike other Games, Arafura Games is not designed for current world beaters or Olympic and Paralympic champions, instead it provides a high quality stepping stone for athletes as part of their journey to compete at the highest level.

After the success of the inclusion of Oceania Paralympic Championships in Arafura Games 2007, Arafura Games 2009 will again host Paralympic Events in eight sports meaning athletes with a disability will compete alongside their able bodied teammates.

Arafura Games 2009 has an exciting line up of events across 27 sporting disciplines .

Rachael Dodds has had an amazing six months. In November 2008, just after receiving her sporting dreams grant,she won four gold medals at the Pacific School Games in Canberra for the 100m,400m,800m and 1500m.

Her greatest achievement has been breaking the world 400m record on way to gold at the National athletic championships in Brisbane in March 2009.

Rachel says she is thrilled with her performances, and quickly emailed her great news to sporting dreams founder Marayke who was competing at the national swimming championships at the time.

"I ran the 100m heat on Thursday and made it to the finals. I came last but bettered my PB by 0.6 seconds so am happy!! I ran the 400m final on Friday and bettered my PB by 6 seconds, ran under the world record by 11 seconds and grabbed a gold medal. I am aboslutley ecstatic and was happy enough with the PB's let alone Gold!! thanks for your support,
Rachxx"

Sporting Dreams Athletes 2008 Front row L-R Susan Seipel,Marayke Jonkers, Sam Carter.Back row L-R Jarrod Larkins-Law, Lucy Larsen, James Steggell,Morgan McAllister,Rachael Dodds,Mason Ollerenshaw.

Sporting Dreams Athletes 2008

Front row L-R Susan Seipel,Marayke Jonkers, Sam Carter.Back row L-R Jarrod Larkins-Law, Lucy Larsen, James Steggell,Morgan McAllister,Rachael Dodds,Mason Ollerenshaw.