Episode 26: Special Olympics

Download the transcript for this episode (.doc)

0:00 Carers Queensland Announcement: Want to know more about the National Disability Insurance Scheme?  A chat with a Local Area Coordinator can help you understand the NDIS, whether it’s right for you, and how to apply for access.  Book a spot at LAC in Community, a free service from Carers Queensland.  Find out more, check for events coming up near you, and book your spot online at carersqld.com.au.  You can also call us on 1300 999 636. 

0:40 Jodie van de Wetering: Choice and Control, a podcast celebrating people with disability.  Brought to you by Carers Queensland, NDIS Local Area Coordination Partner in the Community 

This year we’ve been all over the Olympics and the Paralympics, but if we’re talking about sport and disability we have to show some love for the Special Olympics.  The Special Olympics is a global movement pushing for inclusion for people with intellectual disability.  They operate at all levels from local sporting activities through to the World Games.  One of our active Queensland Special Olympians is Ruby Lawler from Gladstone.  She’s a competitive swimmer, on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Australia, and she’s also an Athlete Representative and Athlete Leader.  She started swimming because it’s good for her health, but it’s turning into a career in and out of the pool  

1:33 Ruby Lawler:  I like swimming because it’s not just fun, it’s for my health.  I swim because all my joints and all that, the water basically relaxes my joints and I guess that’s what’s kept me swimming, other than wanting to compete. 

1:56 Jodie: Ruby’s interest in swimming had a kickstart in the year 2000 when she got to go to the Olympic and Paralympic swimming trials. 

2:03 Ruby: I had a Starlight wish granted because of everything, all my medical that was going on, Starlight Foundation granted me a wish and it was to do whatever I wanted.  I chose to go to the swimming trials and, yeah, I basically got to spectate some of it and hand out the medals to the winning swimmers.  It was fun because I got to hang out the back with all the athletes where normal people that weren’t swimming weren’t allowe,d and it was fun because I was hanging out with all these Olympic swimmers and all these Paralympic swimmers.  Yeah, I just had a ball. 

2:53 Jodie:  That’s amazing.  And were these people you’d heard of, and were like ‘there’s my swimming idol and now I’m in the same room as them!’ 

3:00 Ruby: Yes my swimming idol and she’s always been my favourite is Liesel Jones.  I basically got to spend some time with Liesel and she took me back and showed me everything.  Showed me how everything works, and we watched some of the swimming races.  I was lucky enough to get a kiss off Geoff Huegill. He jumped out of the pool and came and gave me a hug and kissed me.   It was one of the highlights of the whole event. 

3:39 Jodie: Was it inspiring to think ‘right, I’ve been here as a spectator, I want to come back as a competitor’?  

3:44 Ruby: Yes. I’ve always wanted to compete in the Paralympic Games, but because of my health and because of my physical disabilities it’s hard for me to get the right classification.  So I’ve sort of always had the Paralympic Games as my motivator, I have always said that one day I’m going to compete.  And then I found Special Olympics Australia. 

4:22 Jodie: Because you have done some amazing things with Special Olympics haven’t you? 

4:25 Ruby: I’ve swam for Australia in the Asia Pacific Games that was held in Newcastle.  Unfortunately it was in Australia but, you know, I’m hoping to get overseas for swimming one day. 

4:39 Jodie: And you’re also now an Athlete Representative for Special Olympics, is that right? 

4:42 Ruby: Yes, I currently sit on the Special Olympics Australia National Board, and I’m basically a voice to all the other Special Olympics athletes.  So if they want issues sorted out, I basically collect what they want to say and I take it to Board level, and I see if things can get done about it. 

5:10 Jodie: Was that scary, taking that role on? 

5:13 Ruby: Yeah it was, because I sort of was thrown in the deep end a bit.  I didn’t really know what to expect with Board meetings.  They’re really long and I am all tired by the end of it, but it’s worth it.   I also sit on Athlete Input Council as part of my Special Olympics Board role.  Basically we have athletes that are chosen to sit on the Input Council and we go through issues and things that they want to discuss and things that should be done and things that are not done that maybe can happen, and we basically present that to the Board and we work together to get people to see the issues. 

6:21 Jodie: And is it good working with other athletes and other people in the community like that? 

6:25 Ruby: Yes, it’s great working with other athletes, I really enjoy being a Special Olympics Board member.  I’m not just a Board member I’m also an Athlete Representative and an Athlete Leader and yeah, I enjoy doing that because I enjoy helping other athletes to achieve their best. 

6:47 Jodie: What’s the local Special Olympics crew like here in Gladstone? 

6:52 Ruby:  Special Olympics Gladstone, yeah, it’s amazing.  We have soccer, which people say is football, we have basketball, we have equestrian up in Rockhampton.  They run the equestrian because two or three athletes with our club are up in Rockhampton and they train in equestrian up there, then they go and compete.  One of our equestrian athletes has actually gone to World Games, and that was held in Abi Dhabi.  Yeah, she did really well and she won medals and I was really proud of her.  I love that she got to World Games and I’m hoping one day I’ll get to World Games. 

7:48 Jodie: My next question was going to be what are your plans, what else would you like to achieve – World Games is right up there? 

7:54 Ruby: Yeah, World Games is right up there, but I have a backup plan.  If I didn’t get into World Games with Special Olympics, I’m going to go with Swimming Queensland Masters.  I’ve started swimming with the local Masters group, they’re called the Gladstone Gropers, and they’re really good.   They’re really good people to be around, and they’re supportive and they’re just brilliant all around.  Some of them do open water swimming, and I’ve started doing some open water swimming.   

I actually competed in Special Olympics Nationals, I did the 1500 metre open water swim.  I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to do it, but I’ve done it, even though I came last I still got to the end.  It was hard but it was worth it. 

8:55 Jodie:  And that Masters group, are they a disability-specific group or are they a mainstream swimming group? 

9:00 Ruby: No, they’re mainstream. I swim with them, but they’re really supportive.  If I don’t get into World Games for Special Olympics I’m going to go to World Games for Masters. 

9:18 Jodie: Your training sometimes involves going out into Awoonga Dam, what’s it like training out there? 

9:25 Ruby: It’s scary.  I constantly have [the thought] in my head that fish are going to bite me on my feet, on my toes.  My coach used to always say ‘they’re not going to touch you, they won’t bite your feet’.  But how would I know?  I can’t see anything in the dam, like, it’s not clear, it’s foggy. 

9:48 Jodie: And full of weed? 

9:50 Ruby: Yeah, full of weed too. 

9:51 Jodie: Is it a bit intimidating, the open water swimming, in that you’re out there with whatever’s in the water with you? 

9:58 Ruby: Yeah, I kind of feel okay about it because there’s no sharks in there, because it’s a dam, so I’ve only got to worry about big fish biting my toes. 

10:12 Jodie: And you mentioned your coach Terry, what was Terry like? 

10:16 Ruby: Terry was awesome, he was such an inspiration and he absolutely loved training with me.  He was my coach and he would push me to my limits.  He would make sure I’d do an absolute wonderful job.  He took me to a couple of Swimming Queensland state competitions, he took me to the Australian Institute of Sport for a Special Olympics competition, I’ve gone to nationals with Terry, I went to Asia Pacific Games with Terry.  He was always there for me, and he was super proud once I finished the open water swim because we both didn’t think that I would make it in the end.  But I made it so I was pretty happy with myself, even though when I got out of the water I had wobbly legs because I was buggered.  But it was worth it. 

11:18 Jodie: If you’d like to find out more about the Special Olympics and what’s happening in your area, visit their website: specialolympics.com.au. 

11:27 Carers Queensland announcement: Work isn’t just money in the bank, it’s learning new skills, facing challenges and making a difference to the world around you.  If someone in your life is leaving school soon, find out what support’s available and explore options for the future in Carers Queensland’s free workshop Let’s Talk about Work.  Find out more, check for events coming up near you, and book your spot online at carersqld.com.au.  You can also call us on 1300 999 636.  

11:58 Jodie: And if you’d like more stories about disability in sport check out the Choice and Control archives.  We have four seasons worth of stories there now, including sporting glory of all kinds from wheelchair racing to weightlifting right through to our current season which is all about access and inclusion in sport.  And there’s still more to come 

Thanks for joining us at Choice and Control, a Carers Queensland podcast.  For more information about the National Disability Insurance Scheme or Carers Queensland contact us online at carersqld.com.au.  You can call us on 1300 999 636 or head to Facebook and look for Carers Queensland NDIS. 

Mentioned in this episode 

• Special Olympics Australia
• Gladstone Special Olympics
• Gladstone Gropers Masters Swimming Club 
• Carers Queensland website 
• Carers Queensland upcoming events and workshops 
• Carers Queensland NDIS on Facebook 

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