“I was on the starting blocks at my school’s Swimming Carnival. Then I heard somebody yelling ‘Stop the race!’. Next thing, they took me halfway down the pool, announcing that I was disabled and thus should be given a handicap. And that was when I truly felt disempowered. And I was devastated.” That was the opening statement of a captivating presentation Chanelle gave us last Wednesday. She was just 10 years old when she was diagnosed with a serious vision impairment, with only 30% vision in her left eye, and totally blind in the other. Her condition, its cause still to this day not clearly determined, led to negative beliefs, led to self-doubt, which can be more devastating than the illness itself. “I was embarrassed by my disability, I hit rock bottom” she said.
Fast forward to today, when Chanelle looks back on her fight to be… just normal. To play golf, so snowboard, to be a leader. “I was a leader for me” she explained, “leadership results in empowerment.”
Briefly explaining her condition, Chanelle told us of her journey to leading an {almost) normal life. The Rotary Vision Statement ‘To see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change’ became hers. She wants to promote awareness, education, self-belief. Her journey is truly inspiring. “I take advantage of my other senses being much sharper than that of people with normal vision,” she said. “I can smell bacon frying 5 minutes before anyone else can, I can recognise people from the way they walk…”
What can I add? Perhaps her advice to everyone: dream bigger!
Chanelle gave us permission to load her presentation for download – see download pages on the right. She can be reached via her website www.chanelle.au.
Photo: Chanelle (centre) with her support person Phoebe and our meeting Chairman of the day, Adrian Crowe.