The Illawarra Academy of Sport has recently re-launched an Athlete with a Disability (AWD) sports program in partnership with The Disability Trust and supported by local mortgage brokers Choice Home Loans. The Illawarra Academy of Sport is committed to providing equal opportunity for athletes with a disability to achieve sporting excellence through the facilitation of appropriate sports development programs that support and enhance the athlete’s potential and sporting opportunities. The AWD Program will provide athletes with an opportunity to engage high quality sports coaching, life skills and sports education curriculum, physical development programs as well as the opportunity to attend and participate in all Illawarra Academy of Sport functions. The program is open to individual and team athletes and their coaches. IAS Acting General Manager Shannon Fraser believes that “the re-launch of the AWD program will provide further support to our regions disabled athletes and assist them in fulfilling their sporting potential” “The squad is extremely talented and committed to improving to fulfil sporting dreams. They have taken to the increased training and education modules quickly and we are already seeing results”. The Academy has previously provided support to more than sixty disabled athletes including Paralympics Gold Medallists Siobhan Paton and Brett Stibners and Special Olympics Gold Medallist Megan Newell. The Disability Trust is the principal partner for the IAS AWD program and along with sponsors Choice Home Loans and BaiMed Sports Physiotherapy; they provide the necessary support to ensure a quality outcome for the athletes involved. “The Disability Trust have been fantastic in providing resources for the program as have programs sponsors Choice Home Loans and BaiMed Sports Physiotherapy.” said Mr Fraser. “The Disability Trust’s Sport and Recreation Manager Mr Michael Norris has work tirelessly behind the scenes to pull together a highly talented group of athletes to be engaged in the program” added Mr Fraser The Disability Trust has over 21 years of experience in delivering sporting and recreational programs in the Illawarra and hold strong links with many disability and mainstream groups not only here in the Illawarra but throughout NSW. Mr Norris believes this experience “has enabled us to work well with the Academy to target the best possible athletes for this program to ensure it can be a successful initiative that will grow to benefit more people in the future” “The Trust and the Academy are committed to ensuring athletes with a disability here in the Illawarra have access to quality programs that will be tailored to meet their individual learning styles and we share the values of creating inclusion in our local community” added Mr Norris. Athletes train weekly at the Fitness 4 All gym in Fairy Meadow and attend education sessions fortnightly at the University of Wollongong. IAS consultant and athletics coach Ian Hatfield will be running a number of athletic movement and speed development sessions over the coming weeks to further support the development of these future sporting stars. The IAS AWD squad consists of Kody Banks (basketball), Sarah Forrest (netball), Lachlan Harley (basketball), Patrick Mitchell (soccer), Rocco Musumeci (soccer), Timothy Walsh (basketball) and Nathan Whelan (soccer).
