Mobility Blog

The Bluesky team are proud to introduce our new guest blogger, Paralympic gold medal winning captain of the Australian wheelchair basketball team Justin Eveson. Over the coming months, Justin will be updating us regularly with his team's preparations for the 2012 Paralympics in London.  

Best of luck Justin, from the Bluesky team!

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Hi there readers,

As this is my first ever blog, I should start off by giving you some background on who I am and what I do... otherwise this blog will probably not make much sense to you at all!

My name is Justin Eveson, I was born and raised here in the greatest city in the world, Perth, and I am fortunate enough to be involved in the sport of wheelchair basketball. From humble beginnings as a youngster I have managed to ride the sport to the highest level, been a member of the Australian Paralympic Team since 2000, encompassing the last 3 Paralympic Games (with an eye on attending my 4^th next year in London) and played professional wheelchair basketball in a multitude of European countries.

But before we get into the elite level of the sport I wanted to start with something a little closer to my heart, the Western Australian team in the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL), the Perth Wheelcats.

Over the past 10 years I have come to realise that the Wheelcats are no ordinary team.  I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with 6 National Championships, 5 of which occurred consecutively.  However, it is not simply Championships that set this team apart.

The thing that makes this team so special is the bond we share from having developed our love of the sport as young kids through the mentorship of one of the greatest men this sport has ever known in Frank Ponta (RIP) and the development program of Wheelchair Sports WA.

This has lead us down the path to success and glory, but more importantly, it has seen us through hard times both on and off the court and has helped develop us into the men (and women) that we now are.

In this series of blogs I would like to share with you my personal experiences, as an athlete with a disability playing wheelchair basketball for state and country, of which hopefully you can relate to while finding my particular brand of humour amusing!

The Perth Wheelcats just ended our 2011 regular season and once again finished as minor premiers, our last games of the season were against the Brisbane Spinning Bullets.  While we took care of them comfortably, considering our run of injuries and illness to key players, it was the perfect opportunity for our younger, less experienced players to step up and push for selection into the team that will travel to the finals in September (this year being hosted by the Bullets).

Now while this did not occur unfortunately, I still think it was a timely reminder for the team as a whole that even though we finished the home and away season with only one loss, now is not the time to relax, but to make that final push towards our 6^th consecutive championship.

Upping the ante at training is always challenging but this month I believe I came across my greatest ever challenge, fatherhood. I became a father to my son Hugo Eveson on the 10^th August 2011 and while the lack of sleep, nappy changing and getting peed on (he has remarkable aim!) are not the most fun things in the world, the whole package of bath time, cuddles on my chest and his overall perfectness make this already the best experience of my life. Getting back to the routine of training after we returned home last week has been challenging, but I can think of no greater motivation than making my son proud of me when we look back upon my sporting career together.

I do realise this blog is becoming somewhat of a short novel.  Now introductions have been made things will be a little sharper; next month I look forward to chatting about the Perth Wheelcats and the NWBL Finals (which will also double as the first time I am away from the little guy) and my preparations for the Australian Rollers selection camp.   We are looking to qualify for the London Paralympic Games which are less than a year away... yes even the reigning Paralympic and World Champions have to qualify!

Until next time

Justin

The WA State Government has recently announced $1m in funding for eligible West Australians to receive the Equipment for Living Grant. 

The grant (up to $5000) will assist eligible individuals or sponsor organisations on behalf of individuals to purchase mobility equipment including:

• Electrically operated adjustable beds to make caring easier for families and unpaid carers
• Items that children/individuals are learning to use, and are not available through Community Aids and Equipment (CAEP) scheme due to restrictions regarding only one piece of mobility equipment being funded
• Car seats for children and adults and occupant restraint for travelling in vehicles
• Light weight inverters to power breathing equipment that fit a wheelchair better than the current larger inverter
• Alternative positional items for people with complex needs
• Electronic mobility aids for people with vision impairments
• Environmental controls
• Personal hygiene equipment such as bidets
• Assistive communication technology such as telephone adaptations

The grant will be administered through the Independent Living Centre (ILC) of WA.

Submissions for the grant are open from 15th July 2011 to Friday 9th September 2011.

For further information on eligibility please visit the ILC grant information page.

Please note Bluesky Healthcare have no association with the ILC or the Equipment for Living Grant, all enquiries about the grant should be directed to the ILC.

Housing For Seniors have produced this guide to living at home for longer, and how to plan future renovations to maximise accessibility in your home into the future. 

One thing the article doesn't mention, however, is the ease of which a stairlift can be installed for those who wish to maintain easy access to the 2nd floor of a home, or how a platform lift can assist wheelchair users to move up and down flights of stairs with ease. 

Our consultants would be happy to discuss how to plan future renovations to ensure you can stay at home independently - give us a call today!