Episode 12 Empowerment Through Play: Sport and Recreation

Episode description

Get ready to feel motivated! In this inspiring episode, we dive into the world of recreational and sports activities for children with spinal cord injuries, featuring two dynamic and highly experienced guests: consultant physiotherapist and para-sports classifier Joan Hacken, and sport, recreation, and leisure professional Seb van Veenendaal.

Joan shares her extensive experience in working with young athletes with disability, from grassroots involvement to the Paralympics. She sheds light on classification systems while emphasising the importance of participation over competition. She encourages families to focus on enjoyment and skill development first and advocates for modifying mainstream sports to ensure and engaging with local clubs.

Seb shares innovative adaptations he’s made for kayaking and recounts the joy he’s witnessed during snorkelling, surfing and scuba-diving experiences. Both guests highlight the importance of exploring children's personal interests and the value of "come and try" days, as well as the need to educate teachers and coaches on inclusive strategies.

Joan and Seb’s passion for helping individuals discover their potential shines through as they share heartwarming stories of success and the joy of watching young athletes thrive. This episode is packed with valuable insights for parents and kids, advocating for accessibility, participation and joy.

Meet our guests:

Joan Hacken

Joan is a highly experienced consultant physiotherapist with nearly four decades of expertise in paediatric and adult neurorehabilitation. Her deep commitment to sports for individuals with disability is evident in her volunteer work as a classifier for IPC Athletics, UCI Para-cycling and WTF Para-taekwondo. Joan also serves as an expert witness and is the Director of her own physiotherapy practice.

Sebastian van Veenendaal 

Seb is a highly skilled sport, recreation and leisure professional, with a unique background in adapting activities for people with physical disabilities. With a strong attention to detail, Seb is driven to solve problems through simple and strategic creative solutions to provide access to people of all abilities. He is currently the Business Development and Program Manager at Sargood in Collaroy.

 

Image by: Joan Hacken provided for by SpineCare Foundation

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