So you think you have got a problem, huh? Well, visualise for a moment: you were born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (Adam). Or you are a professional dancer touring the UK and come down with a rare disease which, almost overnight, leaves you close to totally blind and paralysed (Tash). How do you proceed?Last Wednesday, our new members Adam Sheppard and his business partner Tash Price gave us a good run down of what you can achieve, regardless of your disability. Let’s start with Adam: at 38, is happily married to Christy. They have a beautiful son Fletcher, aged 4. He was introduced to Rotary via RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment) and RYTS (Rotary Youth Transition Seminar) which he attended in 1998. Incidentally, that is where he met his wife… [OK, I've heard some enthusiastic reports from RYTS attendees before, but that takes the cake! ☺ Ed.] Adam has been involved in racing wheelchairs himself, as well as coaching both able bodied and disabled athletes for some 13 years now. Tash is not only his business partner in InvincAble, but he is also her coach.
Tash Price not only had to overcome her paraplegia and blindness, but in addition had the challenges of diabetes, gastric paralysis, severe chronic pain and arthritis. That didn’t stop her from taking up wheelchair racing. She owned her racing wheelchair for just six weeks when she took out the Bronze Medal in her first competitive Marathon (yes, it’s 42 Km as well!) in July 2018. OK, go on..! in October 2019 she took out Gold in the Auckland Marathon! Next target: representing Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
I could go on, with heaps of inspirational anecdotes they recounted. But why not check out Adam and Tash’s PDF ‘Meet Team InvincAble’ in the Download Section on the Right. It’s a truly inspiring read and also has some great pictures! Needless to say, we are so stoked to have you both joining Surfers Sunrise Rotary!