Hey! It’s Doug Kenney again. I have dealt with autism for my entire life. I have taken up the hobby of journaling, which is very therapeutic. Recently, I did some journaling at the sea side of Oregon. It was pretty cool to have the peaceful setting of doing it while hearing the sound of the waves. A very enjoyable hobby.

Hi all. I hope everyone is having a great week, If you haven’t caught up on the Nothing’s off Limits podcast by Vision Australia…You can listen to past episodes via this shared post link. Episode 5 was aired recently where the discussion was around relationships, both healthy and unhealthy ones. Haven’t listed yet… not to worry. All past 5 episodes are available. Happy listening, BLV friends.

https://www.visionaustralia.org/nolimits?fbclid=IwAR2O3DCueOAXXUlScEMbxx-2MPYqYCLVRsWNKWFiZe7MTNxgTlaHwfk0nx4

It’s me, Doug, again. I have dealt with anxiety, depression, obesity, and autism all my life. But, those haven’t stopped me. My latest accomplishment – I have begun martial arts courses and training with kickboxing legend Jerry Trimble. I am still rocking things in my professional life!

Hey, my name is Brendan! I was born and living in Melbourne, Australia. I have Aspergers Syndrome ASD. I am an actor, guitarist, musician, film maker, crew member, rode merchandise seller in the music industry, a private Barista, and a horse carer at Mountain Brumby Sanctuary. I love cars, music, film, traveling, Antiques, History, Coffee, and Animals. It’s nice to meet you all. I am looking forward to working with everyone as a part of the SPARK team.

“Hello all, my name is Adam Georgelin. I hope you don’t mind me reaching out to you. I was born with spina bifida, a spinal cord defect. And have always worked full time. I’ve played in the Richmond Tigers AFL wheelchair side for the past 3 seasons. I was a part of the premiership side in 2019, and featured on the men’s AFL banner for the preliminary afl final that year. Last year, I took on a fund raising task of pushing a wheelchair through the Victorian high country 125km over 3 days. I have recently discovered that I have been nominated for a community Australia Day award, and was subsequently announced on Australia Day as the recipient of an honour. With this In mind, I have ambitions of being an advocate for those living with a disability within Australia and potentially around the world. I’d like to think I can be an inspiration, a role model and a mentor to adults and children alike. I believe we need to see more with disability on television.” – Adam Georgelin.

Hi there. I’m Paula Duncan, and I’m the very proud ambassador of the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival, and I think this is your year to enter. We have an amazing prize pool of prizes, over $100,000. Including a brand new car (Australian Entries) and film experiences that money can’t buy. Simply make a short film or doco focussing on the ability of a person with a disability then head to www.focusonability.com.au.

May have been a cool day over at Keilor Tennis, but we turned up the heat at today’s Blind and Low Vision (BLV) Tennis Practice. Did some much needed work on my back hand after last week’s rally with coach Josh from Viss Tennis. If you are blind or have low vision, and are looking for a sport or activity to try, and want to consider tennis as an option, then connect with the coaches at Viss Tennis. Or find a local Blind Tennis program near you by heading to Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria Facebook page or website.

• Jason Whiter, Melbourne, Australia.

Taylah Bell and her crew started filming their short film, today, for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge… Home Edition 2021. Very exciting to be creating a film in just 6 days with friends. Good luck guys!!!

Hi! Doug Kenney here! The other day, I went mountain climbing for the first time. This successful submitting of Superstition Mountain shows how far I’ve come since I started losing weight. It’s one of the biggest achievements for me, of 2021. At one point, I did suffer a couple injuries, but every time I slipped and fell, I got back up and kept going. I never quit. At one point, I was stuck off the trail, and couldn’t climb up a 5-foot-tall rock. I was ready to give up. However, luckily, a fellow climber helped me up the rock, and I continued on to the end.

The lessons I’ve learned from the hike are these. One, we always need to take first aid. Second of all, I’m not capable of always doing everything on my own: some things in life require teamwork. And sometimes, I need a little boost of confidence. This was a fantastic adventure and I’m very proud of it.