10 May 2025

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:07):
But I'm Aaron McCarthy, aiming for the 2026 Winter Paralympics
in Cortina. You're listening to Leisure Link with Peter Greco
on the Vision Australia radio network.

S2 (00:40):
It's just gone 5:00 as we slide or dare I say,
landslide into leisure link here on Vision Australia Radio 1190
7 a.m. in Adelaide, online at Radio.com through the Reading
Radio Network. Also through your favorite podcast or streaming service
via Radio Digital in Adelaide and Darwin. Our friends listening

(01:02):
through 103.9 nine, Hope FM and Esperance in Western Australia
and also our other friends, Disability Media Australia. Wonderful to
have their support and as we learned last week also
in Tasmania, Peter Gregor saying wonderful to be here. Thank
you so much for your company, this program coming to
you from Garner Land. By the way, you can find

(01:23):
out more about Disability Media Australia by going to their website.
Coming up on the program today, we'll catch up with
Aaron McCarthy. We'll preview the Winter Paralympic Games in Cortina
next year. May be on the plane? We hope so.
We'll catch up and hear about his story. Zac George

(01:45):
Dent will join us, as will Daniel Fabian about the
various games coming up. The boomerangs are getting ready for
the World Basketball Championships. We'll catch up with those two
fine gentlemen. Chelsea marchetti, our resident physiotherapist, will join us.
Chelsea's topic is the message. Can it be good for you?
We'll find out from Chelsea. We'll also be joined by

(02:07):
Minister Nat Cook. A chance for you to have your
say regarding the state's disability policy. We'll find out more
from that. We'll also catch up with Stacey Thompson from
Resthaven celebrating and recognizing volunteers. Their 90th year. Very special
occasion coming up. We'll also be joined by Marcus Marchant
from Vistaprint. We'll find out what mothers think of their gifts.

(02:31):
And maybe a gift idea a little bit different. The
Winter Paralympics are on next year. Big day for our
respective Winter Paralympians last week. Let's chat about it with
Aaron McArthur who was there. And great to meet you
for the first time. Thank you for speaking to us.

S1 (02:52):
Yeah. No worries. Thanks for having me on now.

S2 (02:54):
Uh, I think there's something like 1400 Australians have represented
the country at Paralympic Games, so 27 million of us haven't.
What goes on at a team processing day like last week?

S1 (03:05):
Um, yeah. So last week we attended, uh, the team
processing for all the people that are on the long
list for the the games. Yeah. We just went through, like,
some communication stuff. Some, like media training and then, uh,
went through like a whole heap of processing, like trying
on all the uniforms, like getting all their sizes for everything. And, um. Yeah,

(03:26):
a few bits and pieces for me, interviews and things
like that.

S2 (03:30):
What was that, like the whole thing? I mean.

S1 (03:33):
Yeah, it was it was pretty good. Like, I'm obviously
never been to one. There's a few guys there that
have been to the games before. So yeah, it was
pretty interesting. Uh, it was a busy little room, that's
for sure.

S2 (03:44):
I guess maybe a little bit different in a sense,
because the the winter team isn't quite as large as
the summer team. So maybe kind of a bit better
in terms of getting to know each other a bit easier.
Like not such a sort of big face in the crowd,
as it were.

S1 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, it's, uh, it's a pretty small group. You know, there's, um,
we've got a few cross-country and biathlon guys on the
list now, and there's only, you know, 3 or 4
snowboarders and the same skiers. So, yeah, it's a pretty
small group. So, yeah, tight knit community.

S2 (04:13):
And I guess I know that, uh, obviously to get
to this point, you've obviously had to put in a,
a fair amount of time and training, etc.. A lot
of it tends to not be in Australia, particularly when
when you get to compete, there's a lot of, uh,
overseas competition because we don't have much snow in Australia.

S1 (04:29):
Yeah. That's right. Um, yeah. We've only got a short
season here, you know, three, 3 to 4 months depending on,
on how long it goes for. Um, and then yeah,
we head overseas and, and spend, you know, a good
four months overseas.

S2 (04:42):
Their first film was only happy to share a little
bit about your story. I believe you had a family accident.

S1 (04:47):
Yeah. So in December of 2021, I got stuck in
a piece of machinery and and lost my left leg, um,
above the knee. Um, so. Yeah, After after that. Like
I had a short stay in hospital. I had a
really good surgical team. Um, I had I was pretty
fortunate in having a fast recovery, and I got. Yeah,
got straight into wheelchair sports after my accident. And then, um,

(05:10):
I then somehow managed to find snowboarding and. Yeah, I
just got hooked on that.

S2 (05:15):
So, so the, the, the accident and kind of the
recovery before that, were you much into sport generally and
did you know much about sport for people with disability?

S1 (05:25):
Um, I didn't really have much of an idea about
sports for people with disability. Um, I just played, you know,
junior footy growing up and then just played tennis socially for,
you know, a number of years before my accident. Yeah.

S2 (05:38):
Because I've heard often people, particularly when they have a
life changing experience and kind of have to not have
to but to choose to do Paralympic stuff, it kind
of scratches the, the competitive itch that they might have.
Were you a competitive sort of person before the accident?

S1 (05:53):
Yeah, I would, I would say I was a bit competitive. Yeah.
I guess, you know, having have having the accident and
lying in hospital. I just thought, you know, like, this
is a pretty good opportunity to to go and do
something extraordinary. So. Yeah.

S2 (06:05):
What about what about in terms of helping you through.
Because I'm sure there would have been some dark times,
and I guess some times come to terms with what
had happened and why me? I guess the sort of things,
if you like, a kind of quote unquote normal for,
for people to react that way. How did you go
with that and who kind of helped you through?

S1 (06:23):
Yeah. Like sport played a massive factor in in my recovery,
you know, early on like being stuck at home and
not walking or not being able to walk and being
in a wheelchair and stuff early on. Um, yeah. Getting
out and being able to get involved in a community and,
and being able to, to play sport was massive for,
for my mental health and recovery.

S2 (06:44):
What sort of sports in particular appealed to you?

S1 (06:46):
So I got started like straight away in wheelchair tennis. Um,
so I played that competitively for a little bit, and
then I managed to play a fair bit of wheelchair
basketball locally. And then, um, I got the opportunity to
represent New South Wales in the wheelchair AFL National championships.

S2 (07:06):
Okay. Yeah. Are you an AFL fan, Aaron?

S1 (07:08):
Yeah, yes I am. Yeah.

S2 (07:10):
Which team?

S1 (07:11):
Uh, I follow the cats.

S2 (07:12):
Okay. Well, yeah. You picked a good team to follow
in terms of success over the last few years.

S1 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, they haven't been pretty good for a while now. Yeah.

S2 (07:20):
Yeah. Um, so then, as you said, uh, you're on
the short list or the long list? I think you
said at the beginning of the interview for snowboarding. Uh,
how did that come about?

S1 (07:31):
Um, yeah. So I'm on the the long list for
the games. So, um, in 2022, we managed to get
on a mobility clinic on the snow. So also put on, uh,
a weekend at Thredbo for amputees or users of their products. Um,
so that's when I initially got on the snow after

(07:52):
my accident and then, you know, Now 2023. I tried
to get into as many development camps as I could
and then yeah, last year we, me and the family
made the move over to Jindabyne for the season so
I could, um, get stuck into some training, which led
to me having the opportunity to go overseas and compete. Yes,
I went overseas like our summer just gone and competed

(08:15):
in para snowboarding, um, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and Austria.
I had a few good results there, and I won
the European Cup for my classification and qualified for. Yeah,
qualified for World Championships in Canada. So I was over
there in March.

S2 (08:32):
So were you good at it? And that's why you
loved it or did you love it and that's why
you're good at it?

S1 (08:37):
Um, I don't know. I guess like it was just
a different sense of freedom after losing my legs, I guess. Yeah, it's.
I guess that feeling that I had on the snow,
like being able to slide down and, you know, almost
feel like I didn't have a disability. Yeah. Sort of. Yeah,
just got that. Got that bug.

S2 (08:58):
That's an enormously powerful message, isn't it? I've spoken to
people that go sailing, and it's a similar sort of thing.
You know, when they're out in the water, they kind of, uh,
you know, have that freedom which, uh, you know, as
I say, it's such a powerful message.

S1 (09:11):
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Like, it's it is a it's a
huge sense of freedom. And you feel more equal again,
I guess.

S2 (09:19):
And your success, I guess that kind of feeds into
your passion for wanting to train more and get even
better if you feel like you're doing well. That's kind
of easy to get motivated in the morning and, you know,
get up and about.

S1 (09:31):
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, I, I struggled early on, uh,
you know, with mental health and everything. And once I
found snowboarding and, you know, I've got that itch to
be competitive like that definitely helps me get out of
bed every day. Um, yeah. That's been a driving factor
in my recovery for for this year.

S2 (09:48):
Listen to link here on Vision Australia Radio 1190 7 a.m.
in Adelaide and across the Western Australia and Reading Radio Network,
and we're speaking to Aaron McCarthy, who's with the Paralympic hopeful.
I think we can put it like that before putting
too much pressure on. And you talk about moving with
your family. Tell us a bit about that. I mean,
that's a that's a huge commitment to the sport and

(10:08):
I guess to your cause and a huge commitment from
your family, because without being too personal, I don't imagine
there's going to be a lot of money in representing
Australia at Paralympic Games.

S1 (10:18):
No, there's like there's not a lot of money in
our sport and it is very expensive. You know, like
international flights alone. You know, you're looking at 3 to
$4000 each, each set of return flights. So you know,
we can do, you know, potentially, you know, four sets
of return flights internationally on the season. And then, um,
you know, we're not we're not working when we're training.

(10:38):
So there's a, you know, a fair bit of lost
income there too.

S2 (10:42):
What about as far as your family goes that as
I say, it's a big commitment from them as well
to kind of move with you.

S1 (10:47):
Yeah. So yeah, last year, like when we moved over
to Jindabyne. You know, I was training, you know, five,
six days a week on snow. So, yeah, I didn't
work for for four months. Um, family moved over there.
We managed to get some daycare in Jindabyne for the
little one. And yeah, my wife, um, still managed to
work from home over there, and then she'd come back

(11:07):
to work in the clinic. You know, it was a
four hour drive for her every couple of weeks to
come back and work for a week. So, yeah, it
was it was a massive few months for us.

S2 (11:15):
Um, was the farm yours? Yeah. Was it your own
farm or your family farm?

S1 (11:19):
Yeah. Yeah, it was my farm. Yeah.

S2 (11:20):
And what's the situation with the farm now?

S1 (11:22):
Um, well, I guess we've changed our modeling a little bit. Um,
I'll have a mate come and help me do the cropping,
and then I'll still run the livestock side of things.

S2 (11:32):
And how are things going? Uh, I know some of
or some of Australia, particularly in South Australia, have had
a pretty prolonged drought. Uh, as droughts go, particularly this year,
hardly any rain at all. What about in your area?
Where abouts are you, by the way?

S1 (11:45):
Uh, I'm at the rock in southern New South Wales,
so about a half hour to warm up. Yeah, it's
it's pretty dry here too, like we're, you know, everyone
around the area is sort of flat out feeding sheep
and stock and, um. Yeah, just waiting for the rain
to get some crops in the ground.

S2 (12:00):
Is the sort of thing where, um, you grew up
on a farm and, you know, you've had the accident,
but you kind of don't want to move. It's sort
of too much in your blood to move.

S1 (12:07):
Yeah. Pretty. Well. Um, yeah. I grew up in town,
but always had friends on farms and spent a lot
of time on farms growing up. And then. Yeah, with
my wife and I had the opportunity to buy the farm. And,
you know, since the accident, you know, we tossed up whether,
you know, we sell it and whatnot, and but, um, yeah,
I don't know that I could leave here. Yeah, it's
too good.

S2 (12:27):
Now, uh, as I said, you're on the long list.
Short list? Call it what you like. You're on the
list for, uh, Cortina next year. It's obviously very, very exciting.
So here we are in May. Uh, the games are
a little way away. What's ahead of you? What do
you kind of have to do to to to get selected?

S1 (12:43):
Yeah. So from now we've got our domestic training season
coming up. You know, until then, when we're not on snow, it's,
you know, in the gym 4 or 5 times a week. Um,
just building that strength and conditioning. And then. Yeah, we
have our domestic season here, so, you know, a few
months of training and then, um, we'll probably head overseas
at some stage for a training camp, and then. Yeah, uh,

(13:06):
head back over for the, the start of the international
season again.

S2 (13:09):
You talked about your form last year. That obviously must
give you a lot of confidence as well as, you know,
that drive, that motivation you talked about as well, but
must give you a lot of confidence that you're kind
of right up there as far as, uh, you know,
being able to compete very well.

S1 (13:22):
Yeah, yeah. So, uh, yeah, I won the European Cup
last year. It was my first season competing internationally. So,
you know, I was pretty stoked with the results I got. Um,
so yeah, like, I'm, I'm knocking on the door of the,
the guys at the top in the World Cup level. Yeah.
So I've got, you know, in terms of qualifying for
the games, um, you know, I've got points there to
qualify for one event. I need to get enough points

(13:46):
this coming international season to qualify for the second event
that para snowboard compete in. Yeah, so it's just a
matter of getting the points and then hoping that, you know,
Australia gets given the quota spot for me to go over.

S2 (14:00):
And you talked about the freedom. What about the adrenaline rush.
I mean I guess the faster you go the the
bigger the rush.

S1 (14:06):
Yeah. Yeah absolutely. The faster you go, the bigger the jumps,
the the bigger the stacks yet. Yes. Heaps of fun.

S2 (14:12):
What did your wife think of it all?

S1 (14:15):
Um, yeah. Like, she's pretty stoked that I'm getting out
there and competing. You know, she often, often complains that
I can snowboard better than her with. With one leg
than she can with two.

S2 (14:25):
So I was thinking more of the safety angle. What?
What does your wife think of the safety angle?

S1 (14:30):
Yeah, like she's not too concerned. Like we've spent a
fair bit of time up on the snow together last season. So, yeah,
she knows how I. How I ride. And she's watched
a few of the races, like, you know, uh, replays
of the games and stuff. So yeah, she knows what
it's like. She's not too concerned yet.

S2 (14:45):
Well, tonight we'd better give her a cheerio. We've spoken
about her enough. The interview is about you.

S1 (14:48):
Oh, yeah. Tony. Tony? Yeah. Tony. She's, um. Yeah. She's been.
She's been amazing and, you know, extremely supportive throughout the
whole journey.

S2 (14:56):
And you got a child as well?

S1 (14:57):
Yeah. Yep. So, yeah, we've got George who's four, and
then I've got an older boy who's, uh, nearly 12
and he. Yeah. They both love the snow, too.

S2 (15:06):
Terrific. Well, let's hope that, uh, there's a few, uh, good, uh,
more moments or maybe more than the moments, maybe years
coming up for you as far as the Australian representation
goes at Paralympic Games. I would be really great to
talk to you. I really appreciate you speaking so openly and, uh,
sharing some of your story. It's been fantastic. We wish
you well. Thanks for giving us a bit of an
insight into, uh, team processing. And also the journey ahead

(15:30):
of you will be following your progress very, very closely.

S1 (15:32):
Yeah. No worries. Thank you very much for having me on,
I appreciate it.

S2 (15:35):
That's Darren McCarthy there at Team Processing last week for
the Australian team as they prepare for Cortina for the
2026 Winter Paralympic Games. What fabulous news for our Aussie basketballers.
With the boomerangs team being named for a trip to
Catholics and coming up very soon. Let's speak to one

(15:58):
of the athletes going. Zach. George. Zach, good to catch
up again. It's been a little while.

S3 (16:02):
Yeah. Peter, how are you going? Yeah, it's been a while, but, uh,
always good to have a chat with you, mate.

S2 (16:06):
Terrific. And this must be nice to be selected to
play for Australia.

S3 (16:09):
Oh, it's an absolute honour, mate. Um, not every day
you get to represent your country. So, um. Yeah, very, uh. Yeah.
Very humble and, uh, very, uh. Yeah. Fortunate, I guess,
as well.

S2 (16:18):
That's a very good point. You make about. Not very
often you get selected. Uh, you've been playing for a
long time, and you're one of the stars of the
Oliver Burke championships. How many games have you played for Australia?
How many times have you played for Australia?

S3 (16:30):
Uh, I've represented this country. I think this would be
my sixth time. Maybe sixth or seventh. Maybe. Yeah, it's
been a bit. A few, been a handful. So yeah, every,
every time it's been very enjoyable. So yeah, looking forward
to it.

S2 (16:41):
I'm just thinking in terms of maybe the the wheelchair
basketballers or other disabilities. They they seem to play a
lot more than you guys do.

S3 (16:49):
Uh, yeah. I guess they get a fair bit of
a crack as well. And, um, uh, it seems like
they play a fair bit more, but we get a
competition every, every couple of years, I think. And in
the next few years we've got a fair bit of, um,
competition lined up as well. So we're getting our fair share,
I guess, coming up. So. Which is good. So. Yeah.

S2 (17:05):
Well, you're very humble and very modest. So, uh, thank
you for for being like that. Tell us a bit about, um,
how it's come to this selection. Uh, obviously the championships
have played a role as far as, uh, you know,
being spotted for your talent.

S3 (17:18):
Yeah, absolutely. So the. Yeah, championship happens every year at
the start of the year. Most of the time, um,
we're all the states come together and battle it out
against each other, and you get some coaches out there
that do a bit of scouting, I guess. And, uh,
and I guess if you're if you're lucky enough and
good enough, you get selected to a training camp or
in the squad, in a sense. So, um, yeah. brought

(17:40):
it to the squad and then do a few training
camps during the year. And then from from that training camp,
you get selected into the team, I guess. Um, yeah,
a bit of a process, but yeah, it's a bit
of fun.

S2 (17:50):
Yeah. Well, of course South Australia do particularly well. You're
from South Australia, in fact, I think you captained South Australia,
don't you?

S3 (17:56):
Uh, correct, yes I do.

S2 (17:57):
So I guess that kind of helps us with your
leadership skills and other skills, not just basketball, kind of
taking that into account.

S3 (18:04):
Yeah, absolutely. I think I pride myself on, on leadership, um,
each year and even outside the basketball world and in
the real life, um, especially with my job, I'm a
I'm a disability support worker myself. So guiding people, um,
in the sector and, um, showing them, uh, what people
can do, like, like us. So, um, in the real

(18:25):
world and showing people that there is, uh, things we
can do with the, with everyone else. So, yeah. Really, um,
take pride in the leadership and, um, like to guide
people and help them out as much as, um, yeah.
Winning and stuff.

S2 (18:36):
Yeah. Well, winning. Winning is good, but it's not everything.

S3 (18:39):
Ah, yes, it's hard to turn into a sportsperson, but, um,
when you when you, when you take a step back
and and look at it. Yes. Winning isn't everything. But
when you're in the moment, um, when you're kind of everything.
But yes.

S2 (18:49):
As you mentioned, you're from South Australia and you're playing
for Australia. You've got a very good mate in the
team alongside you. Your brother.

S3 (18:57):
Yeah. He's he's coming along again. So it's always, always
good to play with him and uh very special every time.
I think I'm probably the most hardest on him obviously
being his brother. And sometimes I could go a bit
too far, but he, um. He's great. He's, um, he's
a big ball, so. Yeah, he loves it. And yeah,
I think I was pushing that that much because I
know how much you can do and how good he

(19:18):
actually is. So, um. Yeah. No, it was special. Special
to play with him.

S2 (19:21):
And a little bit of, uh, brotherly rivalry, I think.

S3 (19:24):
Yeah, I think there is, especially in trainings, we're always
competing against each other because, um, yeah, we if we're
on the same team, we're a bit too good, I think.
But no, no, it's always going up against each other
and always pushing each other's buttons, which is, which is good.
The competitive, sides there. And yeah, just like to push
each other.

S2 (19:40):
They also mentioned at the beginning you're off to Kazakhstan. Uh,
I guess this probably wouldn't be the the place you'd, uh,
pick out for a holiday place, would it? With deference
to our friends in Kazakhstan.

S3 (19:51):
Yeah. Nothing against them, but probably not my first choice
of holiday. But, um. No, I'm. I'm really looking forward
to it. Obviously. Different culture and different everything, really. So
I'm looking looking forward to it and seeing what's over
there and really embracing it and just taking it all in.

S2 (20:04):
What do you like, uh, preparing for something like this,
particularly that sort of other than basketball side. Zach, do
you do much research or do you go along and
just take it all in as you play along and
sort of experience day by day?

S3 (20:16):
Uh, definitely just go along and just experience it day
by day. I'm not much of a planner, really. I
just get told what to do and I'll do it. Really? So, um. Nah. Yeah,
just really take it. Take it as it comes and
soak it in and. Yeah, enjoy the experience.

S2 (20:29):
Yeah. What about who will be playing against. Do you
know much about that.

S3 (20:32):
So it's a different uh, competition this year? Yeah, I
guess so. We're playing A5V5 tournament. Um, but we're also
playing A3V3 tournament. Um, in the 5V5, I think there's
only four teams that are competing off the top of
my head. I don't know the teams quite yet, but
I guess we'll probably be France, Portugal and maybe Poland
or maybe even USA, so I'm not. I can't confirm

(20:54):
what teams will be over there. Um, but in the
3V3 comp, apparently there's going to be about 13 teams.
So a big difference I guess. But obviously with the
less numbers it's probably easier to get a few more teams.
But yeah, it's going to be going to be interesting.
But I'm also looking forward to that as well.

S2 (21:09):
Yeah, I'm told that that 3V3 sort of competition or
that area of basketball is a real growth area and
expanding at a rapid rate.

S3 (21:17):
Yeah, 100%. Uh, I think we've seen it in the
last year, five, five years, especially with the, the, um,
higher end athletes as well. The, the big pros and stuff. They're. Yeah,
they're really starting to grow and obviously in the, in
the Olympics as well. You got the 3V3 comp in there.
So um, he's really kicking off I guess. And especially
for the European teams. They've really taken it on board
and I reckon they've had a bit of a head

(21:39):
start against us because they've been, I guess, training that
for a while now and they've been doing some competitions
over in Europe with against each other, so I guess
they have that slight edge. But I think with our group,
I think we adjust really well and it's basketball at
the end of the day and we all love basketball,
so I'm sure we'll be able to figure it out
and make it come along, because we've only started really
training 3V3 for the last couple training camps ourselves. So um,

(22:03):
it's a bit raw, but I'm sure by the end
of the tournament we'll be we'll be right.

S2 (22:07):
How different is it as a player or from a
fan view?

S3 (22:10):
Yeah, it's very different to be honest. Like we've trained
it over the last couple of training camps, like I said.
And um, doing the 3V3, it's a lot faster. Um,
a lot harder, a lot tougher. Um, you have to concentrate.
I have 99% of the time, if not 100% of
the time, because if you're that 1% off, the other
team's getting a bucket. So whereas 5V5, you can sort
of rely on your teammates a fair bit to, to

(22:32):
help out on defense and the offense, and you can
take a small break here and there just to catch
your breath. But in 3V3 you you just going all
the time and it's it's um it's crazy, but, um, no,
it's really good to see.

S2 (22:44):
The size of the court is the same.

S3 (22:46):
So in 3V3 you're only playing the half court. Yeah.
So it's not a full court thing. It's just you
gotta get it outside the three point line to, to, um, start, uh,
your offense, if that makes sense. There's a lot of different,
different rules that go around it, but, um.

S1 (22:59):
Yeah, yeah.

S2 (23:00):
Three, three by three on a, uh, conventional basketball court, uh,
you know, might test a few, uh, fitness levels out,
mightn't it?

S3 (23:07):
Yeah. I think in about two minutes I'll be I'll
be on the bench in the first two minutes, mate. I'll,
I'll be huffing and puffing, that's for sure.

S2 (23:14):
Oh, terrific. Well, it certainly sounds like it's going to
be exciting. And, uh, I mean, I guess as you
touched on, you know, maybe, uh, bigger things coming up
as far as the future goes. So I know without
giving you too much involved with the controversy or the
politics of it, you know, there's a good move to
try and get more athletes involved at Paralympic level, which
I think is obviously a very good thing.

S3 (23:34):
Yeah, 100%. I reckon that's our our big goal, long
term goal in the end. And um, I've had a,
I've had a few words with the coaches and stuff
and the coaching staff and they've had some behind the
scenes talks and stuff that we don't really need to
get involved with anyway. That's for them. And, um, we
appreciate them busting their guts to get us at that level. And, um,
they're trying everything they can and doing everything they can

(23:55):
to get us in the spot where they think we
should be and what we think we should be as well,
and showcasing our skills like the rest of them.

S2 (24:03):
That's a very astute approach. Yeah. Because I guess, as
you're saying, you know, you worry about playing and let
the administrators worry about administrating, but I guess it's good
to know that they've got your backs in terms of
your best interest to, you know, get the sport progressing and,
and the opportunities progressing as much as they can. That's
a good thing for you to know in the back
of your mind.

S3 (24:20):
Yeah, 100% like you said. Like we can just worry
about playing basketball. Then we don't have to worry about
if we're going to play here, play there, play it
at that level. We can, um, we know that the
coaches have got our backs and doing everything they can
for us to to get us in that position so
we can just worry about the basketball side. And, um,
I reckon that's a big tick in like definitely helps
us just focus on basketball and just do what we do. And, um, yeah,

(24:42):
let them do what they do. So. And they do
it a hell of a job and we can't thank
them enough.

S2 (24:46):
Zach, I can't thank you enough. You're a very impressive
young man. Thank you so much for speaking to us.
Good luck to you. And, uh, and the boomerangs and
the pearls, because you're all going away together, aren't you?

S3 (24:55):
Yeah, 100%. So. Yeah. Thank you very much, Peter. Always
great talking to you, mate, and I'm looking forward to
catching up with you soon and having another chat and
see how we go when we come back, so.

S2 (25:03):
Well, you certainly look out to see how we go.
We'll we'll let people know how the both the teams
go in a few weeks time. Safe and happy travels Zach.

S3 (25:11):
Thanks mate. I really do appreciate it.

S2 (25:13):
Zach. George. What an impressive person. He's a member of
the Aussie Boomers as they, along with the pearls, prepare
to go to Kazakhstan for a very important basketball tournament.

S4 (25:26):
Hi, I'm Pierre Commis, CEO of Special Olympics Australia. And
you're listening to Leisure Link with Peter Greco on the
Vision Australia radio network.

S2 (25:39):
Well, it's just great to a little while ago catching
up with Zach George Dent as they prepare for the
trip to Kazakhstan to play basketball for the boomerangs. Let's
speak to the manager of the team and see how
their preparation is going for a point of view, and
speak to Daniel Fabian, who I believe I can call faves. Faves. Welcome.
Thanks for your time.

S1 (25:59):
No problems. Thank you very.

S3 (26:00):
Much for the invitation and I look forward to chatting
with you.

S2 (26:02):
Yes, well, we spoke to Zach and he's obviously very,
very excited. What about from a manager's point of view,
how much preparation do you have to do from a
personal point of view to kind of find out what's
ahead of you, the team and obviously the players?

S3 (26:14):
Yeah.

S1 (26:14):
Look, it's it's a really big undertaking of a job. Uh,
one that I'm.

S3 (26:19):
Firstly.

S1 (26:20):
Privileged.

S3 (26:21):
To, to do.

S1 (26:21):
And very honoured to represent Australia. Taking that aside, um,
I do get the all the fun.

S5 (26:28):
Jobs, as I tend to say. Part of my role
as team manager isn't just about smiling on court and
handing out water bottles for from a national perspective. It's
really pretty much doing everything. So. So my job is
to liaise directly with the head coach. Um, who is
Ryan Holloway? My other job is to liaise directly with
Basketball Australia, Sport Inclusion Australia. Uh, and also a little bit, um,

(26:52):
with Verdi's, who is the overarching body that that sees
the games that we go through. So from a player
liaison perspective, it's my job as well where the players
will talk to me sometimes on a daily basis, sometimes
on a weekly basis, depending on their needs, depending on
what I need from them as well. I generally speak
to the head coach predominantly daily, um, depending on what

(27:14):
needs to be done. Same thing with Basketball Australia. My
job really involves doing a lot of things with them
behind the scenes, to be able to make the team
comfortable within their space, to be able to do what
it is they do on court. I do get rewarded
after all the hard work of preparing for a competition
that I always say I get the best seat in
the house to actually watch the game. And you know,

(27:36):
there are duties within the game itself that I do.
But leading into a competition, there's lots and lots of work.
It is a volunteer role. So from that perspective, I
do work, um, a couple of jobs. So to throw
this on top is literally a it's not quite a
full time role, but it'd be pretty close to 20
hours a week that you do leading into it. So

(27:58):
certainly since about February this year, I've been putting about
20 hours a week into the programme and that's, you know,
takes a big chunk of your time. Um, so again,
very grateful to my family who allow me to pursue
the goals that I have. On a personal note, in
being part of an Australian team.

S2 (28:14):
Yeah, I guess the fact that it's a, um, a
big international tournament is, say, coming up that that kind of, uh,
means that, you know, it's kind of full on, I
guess other times of the year might not be quite as, uh,
much time needed to spend at it.

S5 (28:27):
No. Very true in saying that, Peter. However, in within
our competition we have nationals that are in February. So
I also volunteer. I'm a team manager for Victoria for
the Victorian side. So the Victorian Overberg men's team is
my team manager. So leading in from selection, which is
around October. Um, we then go into nationals and obviously

(28:49):
from a national perspective, you know, coaches are then looking
at potential players within nationals. And then we have teams
that are selected to be part of the squad. So again,
it's about acknowledging those players, making sure that they have
what we call eligibility for international selection. So my role
is to then make sure I talk with Sport Inclusion

(29:09):
Australia to see where that sits within the scheme of
that particular player and athlete to sort of say, right, yes,
you have eligibility, so you are up for selection or
you can be up for selection or okay, you haven't
met the eligibility. So you can be part of the
squad for now. But again, it becomes a, you know,
a decision that becomes quite challenging because if you can't
be selected for eligibility, it makes it a little bit

(29:32):
more challenging for you to be able to be part
of a squad because you're then taking somebody else's spot.
So it's not as chaotic as it is leading into
a championship. But it's pretty much all year round, which is,
I think, not something I was expecting when I took
the role on, um, back in in 23. But, um,
as I said, very privileged and very honoured to have
the role and to be, you know, a select few

(29:53):
team managers that actually get to say there are Australian
team manager.

S2 (29:56):
Sure. What about going to a place like Kazakhstan? I
guess you've had to do a bit of preparation about
that in terms of customs and language and all that
sort of thing.

S5 (30:04):
In saying that, we're quite fortunate that we don't have
to do a great deal other than show up and
play our game. So from a from a language perspective,
I've done a little bit of research. Unfortunately, they are
predominantly English speaking in Kazakhstan from a safety perspective. Um,
Basketball Australia have a security arm or branch department, which

(30:27):
does due diligence to make sure that it's actually safe
to go to. So currently at the moment there is
the various tennis championships that are happening in Kazakhstan. So
we understand that, you know, with them being there, it's
a safe space to be. Sport Inclusion Australia also do
their due diligence to make sure that it's okay. Going

(30:48):
back to Basketball Australia, however we speak. And we had
um the head of the department, Shannon Bradley, actually do
a live stream to our athletes and staff at our
last camp. And he was able to articulate quite clearly
the safety features that he goes through before he gives
the okay for us to travel. He will speak very

(31:09):
closely to the embassy in Kazakhstan, the Australian embassy in
in Kazakhstan, probably about this time to touch base and say, right,
what's actually happening on the ground at the moment? He
doesn't do things six months in advance, because obviously we
live in a world that's very transient and things change
very quickly. So he will be talking to them quite consistently.
He will also be talking, no doubt, to part of

(31:30):
the team that's over there with tennis to make sure
that things are safe and things work. We also have
a representative from Basketball Australia who will be travelling with
us as well, who'll be able to liaise directly back
to Shannon and obviously if need be, the embassy should
something happen. But we're very confident that we wouldn't be
sending a group of athletes and staff to a place

(31:51):
that is not safe.

S2 (31:52):
So I guess that live streaming, that would also give
a lot of comfort to the families of the players.

S5 (31:56):
Yeah, absolutely. And that was why we did it. So
we actually teed it up with Shannon to do a
zoom session. So we were actually in the AIS in
Canberra on camp. He was based in Melbourne and we
had parents across the nation link in whilst we were
doing it, so they could ask questions if they wanted.
But he was very explicit in explaining his role, explaining
the processes and we were able then to Into acetate that,

(32:20):
you know, back then. So that was going back about
6 or 8 weeks ago that we were, you know,
going to a space that was at that stage comfortable
to go to. And nothing's changed. If anything, it's probably
gotten a bit better knowing that there's the tennis championships
that are there at the moment.

S2 (32:33):
We actually spoke to Adriana Petrarca from South Australia a
couple of weeks ago, just before she left, that she
was obviously very excited. So that's good to hear. So
it sounds like, do you kind of write reports? You
talked about the sort of lines of communication and who
you report to. Do you kind of write reports sort
of afterwards to fill the sort of gaps in that
sort of thing.

S5 (32:54):
Yeah. We do. So from a staffing perspective, head coach
Ryan Holloway will definitely have some key staff members write
some reports in regards to their experience, to recommendations, things
that may not have worked so well or things that
were overseen. And it's about continuous improvement. So I was
injected into the team or selected into the team in
23 midway through a campaign, so to speak. So we

(33:17):
were heading off to France. So my learning was was
very steep. A couple of years down the track, I
can certainly say what I learnt back in 23 when
we went to France and, you know, won a gold
medal and everything else, I was able to reflect on that.
So from a best practice perspective, doing things a little
bit differently this time, being able to ask some different questions,
knowing what I do to what I don't do, how

(33:40):
we can improve, is then also a reflection on the
last report that I wrote as team manager. So no
doubt post these championships, I'll run another report and then
review on that. And should I be selected again in
the future, I'll be able to draw on those experiences
and sort of say, okay, how can we make this better?
And when I say better, it's about the experience for
the athletes, of course. Um, my role as team manager

(34:01):
has always been about the athletes. I'm a seasoned team manager.
So for me, it's not about trying to coach. I
have no interest in coaching. The funny thing with me
is people go, oh, you're in basketball, which I know
all the plays. And I go, I don't know one play,
regardless of which team I'm managing.

S2 (34:17):
Because.

S5 (34:18):
I'm literally all about the athletes. So as long as
we get more baskets in the hoop than the other team,
I know we win the games. I know from that perspective,
for me, it's about the the welfare of my athletes,
making sure my athletes can get to their games without
it being a stressful time, other than them just focusing
on the game itself. And again, that's regardless of which
team I'm part of, and I attempt to have everything

(34:41):
that I feel an athlete will need, and more so
they can actually perform their best on the day.

S2 (34:47):
I was running out of time. You mentioned you've got
two jobs. What do you do?

S5 (34:50):
So I'm a personal trainer in my before and after work,
and I have a range of different clients that I train.
But then my predominantly full time job is I work
in a specialist school with young fellas, young boys who
all have ADHD and other impairments. So in my space
of the boomerangs and either, it's really good to see

(35:12):
them progress from a national and a state perspective, having
potentially known they've come from where my young students are
at school now and learning the way of the world and.
And the other way around as well. The world learning
their world. And that becomes a very critical part too,
is understanding the space of of the athletes and students.
So for me, I don't see my boys as having impairments.

(35:34):
I see my boys as being athletes. Um, when I
talk about the boys, whether it's the Victorian team or
the bigger part of the program or the boomerangs, and
same thing works for the girls. So the Australian pills,
the equivalent of the boomerangs. I don't see them as
having impairments. I see them as being athletes and attempting
to communicate that to the outside world and the outside world.

(35:55):
Also seeing them as athletes, because they certainly work exceptionally
hard to be representatives of either their state or their country.

S2 (36:00):
Fantastic. Great note to end on. Good luck to you
and the team and all the pearls as well, because
obviously we look forward to seeing how we go. We
thank you for some really wonderful insights and keep up
the great work. And we'll certainly catch up with the
teams when you return.

S5 (36:14):
My pleasure and thank you for the opportunity to go
to boomerangs and go to the pills.

S2 (36:17):
Indeed, indeed. We will be supporting them as hard as
we can. That's Daniel Fabian there, who's a manager of
the the boomerangs, the Australian men's basketball team, as they
head off for Kazakhstan. And we'll keep you as much
as we can across the results and certainly catch up
with the teams when they return.

S6 (36:38):
You're in elite company listening to Leslie here on business radio. Radio.
VA radio, digital VA radio and through the TuneIn radio app.

S2 (37:00):
Let's catch up with our resident physiotherapist from the Flipper Academy,
Chelsea marchetti. Chelsea. Good to catch up again.

S7 (37:07):
Good to catch up. Peter. Hope you had a nice Easter.

S2 (37:10):
Yes, it's, uh, quite a bit of chocolate, which was good.
Maybe too much chocolate, but that's for another topic for
another day.

S7 (37:17):
You never have too much.

S2 (37:18):
I couldn't agree with you more. It's very healthy for you,
I've been told. So that's what I go with. Chelsea, um,
Mother's Day tomorrow or depending on when people hear the, uh, podcast. Um,
I guess some people might be giving vouchers for, uh,
massage for Mother's Day. Uh, or for anyone, for that matter.
What about massage? What sort of, um, what sort of
benefits is there? Or are there any in fact?

S7 (37:38):
Yes, there is some benefits to massage both mental and
physical benefits to having massage. I guess one of the
key ones is pain relief, as it does help relax
our muscles and can help really just help with recovery. Psychologically,
it's really nice to have a massage because it makes
you feel a lot looser and a lot more calm. Um,

(38:00):
and that can also have its own positive benefits as well.

S2 (38:03):
Because often they're kind of called pamper packs, aren't they?
So you get maybe a massage and a foot massage
and a facial as well, kind of all, sort of
thrown into kind of, I guess. Well, can literally pamper you.

S7 (38:15):
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, we all love to
be pampered. We all love about ourselves. So, you know,
having someone do that for us can really make us
feel really good. And it can give us a bit
more rejuvenation and energy. Um, and that's always something that
is beneficial both physically and psychologically.

S2 (38:31):
I know I've been around a long time, so I
guess like if it's been around a long time, it
must be kind of proven or it must be beneficial
in some way if it's kind of stood the test
of time.

S7 (38:41):
Yeah. So I think, um, there's been a lot of
difference in opinion on the, um, outcomes and effects of massage.
So the one thing I will say with massage regarding
our sport and, you know, I guess looking more on
the physical side of things. So massage isn't an injury
prevention technique. Uh, however, what it is, is a form

(39:01):
of a pain relieving and recovery technique which can help
us really rejuvenate our muscles and help them recover quicker. um,
from what we've just done. But I think a lot
of the time people kind of have the impression that,
you know, lots of massages or frequency of massage can
help prevent injury. That's not necessarily the case. So things
that prevent injury are things that, you know, Peter, we've

(39:23):
spoken about before, strength training and all those sorts of things. But,
you know, massage is really helpful for the recovery process
because we know that our muscles need time to heal
and recover from what we've done, whether it be physical exercise, um, or,
you know, maybe we did something really strenuous at work. Um,
they need time to rejuvenate and recover. That's why we
need to sleep and all those sorts of things. So

(39:45):
massage kind of falls into that category where it helps
us give our muscles time, reduces some of the pain
that we might feel if we're experiencing like delayed onset
muscle soreness and then psychologically help us rejuvenate so that
we can go into the next thing.

S2 (39:58):
There's there's different types of massage out there. There's sort
of deep tissue massage, relaxation massage, Swiss massage, Thai massage.
I mean, I'm not sure what sort of differences there are.
Maybe it's a bit or a fair bit in the marketing.

S7 (40:10):
Yeah. I mean, look, I can't touch on the specific
differences because to be honest with you, Peter, I'm not
quite sure myself. I know that there are some eastern
medicine reasons behind the, um, I guess, theory of Thai
massage and some of those other massages when we're talking
about deep tissue versus relaxation. Uh, from my experience, that's

(40:32):
just around, um, the pressure. So, you know, deep tissue
massage is going to be really intense pressure. Deep pressure,
that's going to be like your real kind of saw massage, um,
that some people can tolerate. I myself cannot um, but,
you know, then your relaxation is a bit more like
a bit calmer and not, not as intense. So it's
really just what you're after. A lot of athletes love

(40:52):
the kind of deep tissue because it really gets into
their muscles. And then, you know, some people might prefer
just a relaxation massage because they're really about that rejuvenation
and psychological effects of massage and just want a little
bit of the physical, but don't want to be experiencing
a lot of distress while they're having that done. So
it's really just depends on personal preference.

S2 (41:10):
Um, that, uh, that thing you said about athletes, I
guess that might be they're thinking of, uh, there's no
gain without pain.

S7 (41:16):
Yeah, it could be a little bit of that. Yeah,
a little bit of that. And, you know, they're always
wanting to get the best performance they can. So having
sore muscles is going to um I guess impact that
versus having not sore muscles. So if they're kind of
getting into them um, a lot. And that has its
24 hour effect, then um, it's again, it's that pain
mechanism that they're not feeling that's helping them perform better.

(41:37):
So that's always something that um, we as physios in
the sports realm are a proportion of what we're responsible for.

S2 (41:44):
Yeah, I know that obviously with the work in the Academy,
it's a lot of it is done with aquatics or
in water etc.. But does massage play much of a
role in sort of conventional physiotherapy, or is that not
really part of your toolkit?

S7 (41:56):
Yeah. So um, lots of physios use, uh, what we
call manual therapy. And manual therapy is a broad term
for a few different things that we do to help people. Um,
and it's kind of in reference to hands on. Um,
I guess if you're not kind of a physio, you
would just think it's all massage or a form of massage. But, um,
you know, we have, uh, specific manual therapy where we're

(42:17):
targeting kind of joints and joint mobilizing, and then you
might have, like your massage where you're just doing, like
a deep tissue kind of massage where you might just
be releasing a muscle. So there is a bit of
that in conventional physio myself, when I was treating adults,
my main theory around using massage was to help people move.
So the only reason I would give kind of hands

(42:38):
on therapy would be initially, if we had someone in
a lot of pain, um, or they were scared to move. So,
you know, someone who's had a back strain or something,
they might just not want to move at all. But
I guess if you don't move, you start to kind
of build up a guard in your body. Your body's
going to start fearing movement. It's going to make it. So, um,
a lot of that. Yeah, a lot of that manual
therapy can be used to kind of just help with

(43:00):
that pain relief aspect of what we were talking about before,
For to then actually allow the patient to do something
like move in a way that is going to help them.
And then eventually strengthen that area, um, later on as
a more long term preventative strategy. So it is really
used in those acute stages. Um, well, when I was practicing, um,

(43:20):
and using it a lot, that's what I used to
kind of implement myself. Um, but various physios have different
ways that they like to use it.

S2 (43:26):
You talked about the different pressures, if you like. I
guess that kind of, as I said, depends on two
things what sort of pressure the recipient likes and also some,
you know, very strong with their fingers and hands, etc.
they might apply more pressure than they realise in a
sense that I know the times I've had massage, often
the therapist will say, you know, let me know if
I'm too hard or too soft sort of thing.

S7 (43:47):
Yeah, absolutely. And um, when we're talking about, uh, the
more technical stuff like the joint mobilization, we actually get
taught how to do different grades of that. So there's
up to five different grades. Okay. Um, with grade five being, like,
quite deep and intense, and then you've kind of got
like your grade two one two, which are quite soft,
so you're not going as far into the joint when
you're kind of mobilizing it. So that's how we used

(44:09):
to kind of get taught the different levels of pressure
when you're doing that sort of technique. And then when
you're learning kind of your massage stuff, it's exactly what
you just said, Peter. You're kind of you're going through
like how much pressure the patient wants or needs and
then just getting a bit of a verbal feedback from
them as to how how much they're coping, and also
just their body language and physical things that they're responding to,

(44:30):
like if they're twitching and kind of making movements and
not really wanting you to touch them while you're doing it.
Gauge a little bit of, oh, this is probably a
little bit too hard. Um, if they're looking really relaxed,
like almost asleep. And, you know, they kind of said
to you, I really want a deep tissue, then you're
kind of going, okay, maybe I need to go a
bit harder so you can kind of pick it up
with experience as well.

S2 (44:48):
Yeah. No, I guess that's up to the individual, uh,
massage therapists to do that. And along those lines, you
kind of said that it's not really going to prevent injuries.
And I guess depending on how experienced or how, um, Uh,
educated that the massage therapist is as to how they
might treat an injury. I guess they're the sort of
things that obviously, you've got to talk to the therapist
and maybe check out their credentials. And obviously, if you've

(45:10):
got friends and family that might use one that either
might say, this person is really good, or maybe avoid
this one because they're not so good.

S7 (45:17):
Yeah. Absolutely. Definitely. And it's all personal preference and just
seeing what you like and what you need and what's
clinically relevant for your injury, if that's why you're getting
your massage or your therapy.

S2 (45:28):
Alright. I know there's some, you know, very well established, uh,
outlets that, uh, that do a lot of this sort
of stuff. So I guess you'd hope that they would
be very well educated in that area. But, you know,
you can never do enough research as far as just
making sure that everything is okay.

S7 (45:43):
Yeah, absolutely. Um, and, you know, when you're talking about
physio practices, um, you know, all practicing physio go through
a physio degree. So you kind of always know that
you're going to be with someone that's got a qualification
when you're looking at your massage stuff. Often I find, um,
if you've got a massage therapist linked in with a
physio clinic. The physio clinic will kind of always go

(46:03):
with someone that's got, you know, reasonable credentials. So that
could be something that might be a bit of a
good inkling on what can be good and what can't. Um,
you know, I guess what you said before, Peter, is
really a key as well. Like if you've got a
friend that's been that's able to tell you what that
experience was like, then you kind of can tell, you know,
exactly what you're walking into, um, versus not, um, Google

(46:24):
reviews and those sorts of things as well can also
be helpful. But yeah, my point and tip is always, um,
if they're able to claim private health insurance, like if
they have that accessible to you, then you know that
they're a legitimate massage place. Um, and that they'd be, um,
have people that are qualified to do that because we
know that private health places won't claim, um, if they're

(46:45):
not registered to a certain practice um, or registration body. Uh,
and then, you know, second to that, if you've got
a physio practice that offers a massage therapist, um, then
you've kind of got your two and two. So if
you're going to a massage therapist for something, you know
that if that massage therapist picks up on something that's
not quite right, there is a physio there.

S2 (47:01):
And if.

S7 (47:02):
It's there, then they can always refer you on. So
there is kind of that multi-day approach in there as well.
So they're kind of the two things I always look
out for when I'm getting a massage or wanting to
do something like that myself.

S2 (47:12):
And the physio and the physio can kind of supervise
the whole situation, kind of liaise as well, which would
be a very important thing. Just so everyone is in
the loop as far as what's going on.

S7 (47:20):
Absolutely. Especially if you're someone who, um, has a chronic injury. Yeah.
Have a massage. Like I'd really recommend, um, if you
see a physio already, either getting a recommendation from them
or if they've got someone at the clinic using them,
because then exactly that they can oversee what's going on.
They can see the notes. They share the notes on
the same software system. Um, and then, you know, that
you're kind of going to be looked after and, um, not,

(47:42):
you know, sore after a week or not able to
move or something's gone wrong or those sorts of things.
So that's kind of the safest option. I think if
you're in that kind of chronic pain stage as well.

S2 (47:50):
If that is a high priority, trust me. If you
want to find out more about the Flipper Academy, how
can we find you?

S7 (47:56):
Yeah. So you can find us online at WW dot academy.com. Um,
we also have our Instagram which is Flipper Academy and
we are also on Facebook. So go and give us
a look, check us on Google if you like and
all the information should be on there for you.

S2 (48:10):
Good to catch up. We'll speak next month. Be winter
by then.

S7 (48:13):
Yeah. My goodness. So crazy. He is going way too quick.

S2 (48:16):
Oh no. All right. That's the Chelsea marchetti there from
the fifth from the Flipper Academy. And if you'd like
a topic for Chelsea to talk about, get in touch
and Chelsea will do it for us.

S8 (48:28):
Keep in touch with Vision Australia radio in Adelaide on
1190 7 a.m..

S2 (48:34):
Matt Cook is the Minister for Human Services here in
South Australia. That always makes herself available, which we appreciate. Matt, welcome.
And you're looking for our feedback regarding your disability inclusion plan.
Welcome to the program.

S9 (48:48):
Hi. Thanks a lot Peter. Happy weekend to you.

S2 (48:51):
Thank you. Now, uh, late last month, you launched your
disability action plan, or for a review for people to
give feedback, or you'll say, A plan.

S9 (49:02):
Yeah. So, um, people will remember, you know, the disability
inclusion work that's been going on now for about seven years, um,
since it was first touted. And that is about setting
up some, you know, parameters and standards and aspiration for
people around access and inclusion in our community, specifically ensuring

(49:24):
that people with disability can, um, participate and get involved
in community on an equal level to everybody else in
our community. So we as a civilized society, take responsibility
deeply around making sure that people can participate. And there
shouldn't be barriers that are insurmountable that are in place

(49:48):
for people to participate, particularly with disabilities. So the act
sets out some rules around that. And from that we
develop a plan called the Disability Inclusion Plan or the
State Plan. And we have done the review that we've
been through a whole cycle of this. And now we
reviewed the act last year and did some or the

(50:09):
year before, and we did some work in Parliament last year.
And now we continue to keep doing that parliamentary work.
But also we've got a draft plan out for people
to have a look at, um, on your say so
that's open until, uh, a week on Thursday, uh, for
people to have their say under a range of themes
around access, opportunity, support, wellbeing and justice. So that's a

(50:32):
lot of words. You know, it's a lot of sort
of official words. Yeah. Sounds a bit bureaucratic and what
have you. But basically it is about creating a community, uh,
where people can participate and setting out some steps in
which to do so. And look, the last plan, you know, um,
achieved quite a lot. I think we've got a lot

(50:54):
more clear in terms of setting out our, um, awareness programs,
our raising, uh, the profile of people with disability, particularly
around the autism space. I know we've done a lot
of work and also access to, you know, decent, um,
facilities and, uh, ways for people to participate in, um, community.

(51:18):
So I think there's been a lot of success and
we can keep doing more.

S2 (51:22):
Now you're targeting five groups in particular, if I can
put it that way.

S9 (51:25):
Yeah, we've got priority groups. There's actually, um, there was uh,
I think five and we've added to it. So that
makes seven. That's Aboriginal people, people with cultural, linguistic, diverse backgrounds,
so cold people, children, women. And then we've got, um,
the LGBTQ plus community and people with, um, significant intellectual

(51:49):
disability or really high levels of vulnerability due to their
disability and that particular. That last group is particularly important
because it reframes or resets the way we, um, have to,
or we're obligated to communicate in a much simpler form
so people can understand. And I often say to people,
inclusion is everyone's business. It's it's up to the whole community.

(52:13):
And in terms of that, communicating or displaying signs more
simply or communicating, you know, different things in a different language. Um,
more clearly, more simple language that helps heaps of people,
not just people with disability or intellectual disability, people with
communication challenges, young people, people with, um, low levels of English,

(52:35):
people with dementia, older people, visitors to the community. So, um,
if we do a better job, um, broadly communicating it
makes it easier for everyone.

S2 (52:45):
Well, full disclosure that often if there's a version that
is simplified, that's the one I read first, to kind
of get a real gist of what things are about
my friend.

S9 (52:53):
You are on no island when it comes to that.
So we often get given big, big documents and if
there is an easy read version, I'll have a quick
peek at it to get a summary of it and
then dive into the large document, or vice versa. Or
just go to the executive summary. I think, you know,
people want to get a bit of a basic idea

(53:14):
before they dive deep into it. It's like reading the
back of a book.

S2 (53:17):
Yeah, yeah. Now, I'm sure most people listening to this
would be aware of it, but not everyone with a
disability is on the NDIS. So this is aimed at
everyone with a disability and indeed carers, families etc. so
it's very broad ranging. It's not kind of NDIS specific
at all is it.

S9 (53:33):
Oh absolutely not. And you know this is about the
broad community, the hundreds of thousands of people in our
community that live with disability, not the tens of thousands
who get higher levels of funding to support them with
their disability and their engagement, such as those on the NDIS.
And so if we get this part right, the broader

(53:57):
inclusion piece, it's a bit like how we're discussing getting
foundational supports, right. These are different levels of support and
activity for people outside of the NDIS that might prevent
people needing a more intensive support package into the future.
But also these objectives help us to support people without

(54:20):
people needing paid supports, for example.

S2 (54:23):
And of course, that is equally important, not more important.
But it's equally important because, as you say, it's more
people that you're involving and their requirements, their accessibility, their
inclusion is equally important.

S9 (54:34):
Absolutely.

S2 (54:35):
Now, so people have got a couple or so weeks,
we'll put details up with our show notes as to
how people can contribute to it. And as I say,
it's pretty much anyone that is associated with a disability
or has a disability that can contribute. So we'll put
those details up. Also putting your, um, Minister for Aging
Wells hat on that. You've recently announced some things there

(54:56):
as well.

S9 (54:57):
Yeah, we've got some really excellent, um, recipients to the
aging world community, um, grants, community and research grants. Uh,
51 organizations are getting nearly, um, well, more than actually
three quarters of $1 million in grants for seniors. Uh,
there's some really big, um, and good projects in the
positive aging fellowship area. There's age friendly grants, impact research grants,

(55:23):
and 16 of our successful recipients are located in the regions, um,
stretching right from the Iron Triangle in the mid north
to the south east. So there's community projects, there's research projects.
It's all about, um, how we, uh, the government is
committed to supporting South Australians to age. Well, and those
organizations that work with older people, people from diverse backgrounds

(55:47):
to again set some frameworks in place for better participation.
There's a range of non-government and non-profit organisations who have
won grants. There's a couple that I'm really keen just
to mention quickly. Um, the Dementia jewellers, they're people that
help guide and support people who are caring for people, um,

(56:08):
with dementia. And the aim here is to bring carers together, um,
and help build their knowledge, to help, to support people
in their community and their family and friends who are
experiencing dementia and the signs and process of dementia. So
that program is is good. It will help carers look
after themselves and others. We've got, uh, program targeting Aboriginal

(56:33):
community housing to support living, um, in the Elders Village.
There's a whole range of small projects. One of the
really excellent ones. And talking today, uh, showdown day I
is the walking football. Um.

S2 (56:47):
Yeah, that's a great project, isn't it?

S9 (56:49):
Yeah, it's really good. Really good. Helping people, um, participate.
I myself, um, have had knee surgery to both knees.
Significant knee surgery. And it means that playing normal, actual
physical running netball would be pretty dangerous for me. So
I have played, um, walking netball and so I can
I've seen people playing walking football. It's a very similar concept.

(57:11):
It's really great fun, really excellent way to participate. People
of all ages can play, um, people with and without
disability can play young people and older people. Bridging the
generation gap, learning how to play and participating in footy.
We're supporting some, um, excellent work out of Nonaka. China's
with food, uh, preparation and delivery and lessons. So a

(57:35):
really diverse range of stuff happening in the community as
a result of these excellent grants.

S2 (57:41):
And that, of course, last Saturday, the election took place,
a resounding win for labor. I'll give you 10s to
gloat about that, but on a serious note, yeah, it
looks like Labor's probably going to be in federally for
the next two terms, and certainly in South Australia probably
for the next two terms as well. So it gives
you both a great chance to kind of establish some
really good working relationships in the next little while, to

(58:01):
really get some things to change.

S9 (58:03):
Yeah.

S2 (58:03):
No pressure, no pressure.

S9 (58:05):
I think I'm really relieved that we can continue those
working relationships in the community, uh, and work across government
to deliver on some of the commitments we've made. The
work isn't finished. We've been doing, um, heaps of work
around the NDIS review, the disability royal commission. All of
that can continue. There's the aged care royal commission. Um,

(58:27):
you know, there's all of those things that have been
bubbling away for the past few years and have not
been finished, so we can continue to do that. I'm
really looking forward to the foundational supports building that we've
committed to. Uh, And, you know, of course I might
be biased, but I feel like it's in good hands. And, um,
I'm keen to continue that great work into the future.

S2 (58:49):
What does it say with both governments being pretty stable
for the next little while, there's kind of going to
going to be no excuse.

S9 (58:55):
No there isn't. And, um, you know, nor do we anyone,
nor does anyone in the community want excuses. They just
want people to get on with it. So I'm looking
forward to it. We work well across the country with
all the different ministers in their portfolios, and I'm looking
forward to us getting back together. And, um, you know,
setting up our framework for the next few years to
work together.

S2 (59:16):
That I know you're busy, so we'll let you go. Thanks,
as always, for your time.

S9 (59:18):
Thanks, heaps. Come to power. Yes.

S2 (59:21):
Indeed. No worries. Tonight, though, that weren't even a Labour
did last week, I reckon.

S9 (59:26):
Terrific. Well, I will wait.

S7 (59:28):
And.

S9 (59:28):
See. I can't, I can't bear the thought.

S2 (59:31):
I look at the kiss of death here.

S10 (59:34):
Well, they'll need to do better than last week.

S2 (59:36):
That could clear the Minister for Human Services and football
expert here on leisure land.

S6 (59:44):
On the Vision Australia network through your favorite podcast service.
On 1190 7 a.m. in Adelaide, you're listening to Leisure Link.

S2 (59:53):
Well, it's May and every month we catch up with
our friends from Resthaven and this time we're speaking to
Stacy Thompson, the manager for Volunteer services. Stacy, welcome. Thank
you for coming along.

S11 (01:00:05):
Oh hi, Peter. Thank you. I'm looking forward to our chat.
I look forward to this every May.

S2 (01:00:10):
Now you've brought a big, bright smile with you to
the studio. Well, what are you shining your smiley face on?

S11 (01:00:18):
You can hear it in my voice, I think. So
may you know that time of the year where, um.
It's extra special time. We want to, um, shine an
extra bright light on volunteers and volunteering and the work
that they do. And we want to do that in
a few different ways, like. Well, we've got some celebrations

(01:00:39):
coming up. And of course, this is an important opportunity.
It coincides with National Volunteer Week. So towards the end
of May we've got three celebrations in our regional areas.
So one in our Murray Bridge area, one in our
Port Elliott area and one in our Mount Gambier area.

(01:00:59):
But we're going to kick off the first one, um,
on the 19th of May with a reception at government House.

S2 (01:01:07):
Okay. Government House.

S11 (01:01:08):
I know that's, um, one we're really looking forward to it.
It should be really lovely. It's going to be hosted
by His Excellency, Doctor Richard Harris, Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.
And Mrs. Harris, this has come about because, recognising that
it is Rest Haven's 90th anniversary this year, so Rest

(01:01:31):
Haven began in 1935, and volunteers have been involved from,
from the very beginning. So it's going to be a
really lovely, um, evening.

S2 (01:01:43):
Yeah. We spoke to Julie, I think, late last year
who previewed the fact that this was an important year
with lots of different events. I think government House is
one that Julie didn't tell us about. So that's obviously
something that's only come along lately, but I'm sure there'll
be a lot of people very excited about getting along.

S11 (01:01:59):
Yes. And, you know, these are really, um, special time. And,
you know, we, we recognise and celebrate, um, volunteers, um,
every day. But this is just an opportunity to shine
an extra bright light on volunteering and not just, you know,
with volunteers themselves, but we know we want to tell
people and share with people what volunteers do, which is

(01:02:22):
a way of thanking and acknowledging. And, you know, it
might even inspire other people to take up volunteering and
to consider it as well.

S2 (01:02:31):
So it's a really good point that people should be, uh,
kind of recognised for their efforts all the time, but
it's kind of nice if you've got an event that
you can kind of, uh, sort of isolate or make
it just a little bit more, uh, unique.

S11 (01:02:44):
I think that you're right. You know, it's always good
to take some time out to have an extra special
thank you. And, you know, and being, um, Rest Haven's
90th anniversary, they've, um, just launched. And it was only
yesterday a living history website. So, um, I know it's

(01:03:05):
really cool. It was sort of shown to us yesterday,
and I'm inspired to jump on and have a really
big look at it. And, you know, your listeners might
be interested in it. And because it's such a lot
of history going back to 1935 and, and when and
how Rest Haven came about and started and the marketing

(01:03:27):
team led by Charlotte has been working on this for, um,
some time. And as you can imagine, there's a lot
of information to collate and organize in a way that
will appeal to people. So I encourage people to go
in and have a little poke around and have a look.
And there's some really lovely images as well that, you know,

(01:03:51):
black and white images that go back and show, you know,
history of time and eras and fashions, but also building
styles from, you know, then to now. So the address
is WW. Resthaven. But even if you go to our website,

(01:04:14):
you'll find the link on our website as well.

S2 (01:04:16):
Now I had a quick look at uh after it
was launched, and it looks pretty accessible. So, uh, I'm
not a great navigator of websites, but it looks quite accessible,
which is great. I think it's okay to mention this,
that also, if people have got things that they might
think could contribute to the history of your as in
it happens. Very happy to hear from other people.

S11 (01:04:35):
That's a really good point. You found that, didn't you,
when you had a look? Yeah. So, um, can you
imagine how many people have been linked or associated with
Resthaven going back? And they all had stories and we
want to hear those stories. So it's really great to
capture this. So the history lives on.

S2 (01:04:54):
Alright. We'll put that information up with our show notes.
We might even get you to repeat it before we
wrap up now. You always like to share a few
stories about, uh, some of the impact that volunteers can have.

S11 (01:05:04):
I do. And, um, I want to share a little
bit about one that's coming up that hasn't been published yet.
And it will be, um, online available next week, I
think from Tuesday, we're sharing a story about Nicholas, who's
a volunteer that joined us recently at our Paradise site.
And I'm just looking at a photo of him right

(01:05:24):
now with a with a resident. And this photo was
taken when this, this beautiful person was turning 100 and
they were being interviewed by our story writer, Helen. And, um,
she needed a translator. And so Nicholas, who speaks Italian, um,
it was a it was a joy because he was

(01:05:44):
able to help them communicate and connect. And she was
talking about, you know, her life and having lived to,
you know, her a really beautiful age. And Nicholas is
connecting with many people from Italy. And I think he's
crossed paths with someone from the same part of Italy.
They they were from the same part. So then they

(01:06:04):
started speaking in their local dialect. So how good is that?
Because you being Italian, you know that how many dialects
there is. So, um, I encourage people to keep an
eye out for that story. And even just if you
just have a look at the wonderful photo, I think
that photo even featured on our on our magazine recently
on a Rest Haven review. So bravo to Nicholas. They

(01:06:30):
do enjoy an espresso too.

S2 (01:06:32):
Well, that there must be Italian then. No.

S12 (01:06:36):
We'll see.

S2 (01:06:37):
You've, you've you've kind of had a story up most
months this year so far, haven't you?

S11 (01:06:42):
We we do. And you know, one of the stories
or the story that we had in April and Resthaven
have begun celebrating, uh, staff and volunteers. So, so people
that are involved, um, through an excellence awards night and
so on this particular night, we had five volunteer finalists.

(01:07:03):
And I do want to mention their names, which this
included Pam Jones from Resthaven, Riverland Community Services, Julie Mulligan
from Resthaven, Belleview Heights, Dawn Whelan from our residential side
at Murray Bridge, Ian Kluge from Murray Bridge also, and
Linda O'Neill from Resthaven, Aberfoyle Park and Linda O'Neill was

(01:07:28):
presented with the volunteer award. But, you know, these people
represent the entire volunteer workforce across Resthaven. You know, they're
outstanding people who who represent the all the volunteers that
we have. And, you know, special mention for Dawn Weiland,
who Lebanon has been associated with Resthaven for 50 years.

S2 (01:07:52):
Wow. So more than half the resthaven history?

S11 (01:07:55):
Yes. And your math is very good pasta.

S2 (01:07:59):
I'll put the socks on shortly.

S11 (01:08:01):
So that's the combination. Oh, yes. Are you counting your toes?
That's a combination of working both as a staff member
and as a volunteer. So fabulous.

S2 (01:08:12):
Well, well. Well done. Well played.

S11 (01:08:14):
So I do want to mention the February story, which
we featured Rob, who volunteers with Resthaven Westbourne Park. And
he's really he really enjoys getting to know individuals and
spending time with individuals. And, you know, as we often hear, that, um,
older people can experience loneliness. So Rob is playing a

(01:08:38):
huge role in helping, you know, alleviate and combat that,
you know, and one of the things he does when
there's a call for is run a men's group to
he's a former teacher. So he's been involved with people
and connecting with people. So there's a, um, a photo
of Rob cooking the barbecue. So, um, keep an eye out.

(01:09:00):
I'll have a look out for that one. And we
had a great story in in January. This featured Diane,
who is a volunteer with us at Northern Community Services.
This is really cool. Diane also receives some support from us. And, um,
she has had a career in working in the community sector.

(01:09:21):
And so, um, she's got so many skills and she
saw an opportunity to help out with organizing the bus outings.
So she's really enjoying putting her experience and skills to
good use and finding it really rewarding. So I love
that story.

S2 (01:09:40):
Now, the, uh, stories that you've given us kind of
gives people a bit of a snapshot of the opportunities
that are there, aren't they? Like, there's there's opportunities all
the time.

S11 (01:09:48):
There is. And, you know, people who know me will say,
we'll have never have enough volunteers. And I think, you know,
you know, what is how can I sort of describe
that or put that, you know, each person that we
support each everyone is an individual. So, you know, the
more volunteers we have, we're helping to meet unique individuals
and match up people. And, you know, um, with their

(01:10:12):
skills and their interests and their talents. So volunteers play
to play a huge role in helping enrich the experience
of older people and to live good lives. And in turn,
we want volunteers to have a really, really good experience,
you know, so they stay and they flourish and they
develop and they grow and they recommend to other people

(01:10:34):
as well. I've got in front of me a photo
of a beautiful photo of, um, this is with, um, Mary,
a volunteer with Westbourne Park, and there's a photo of
her with, um, some of the lifestyle team, and they're
all dressed in a French theme, and it shows really
great energy and style, and it shows that they're working

(01:10:55):
well together. And that's what we want. You know, all
of us at Resthaven work well together to really enrich
the lives of older people.

S2 (01:11:04):
If you're not sure what happened here, but you're right.
Smiley voice has made the clock go really fast.

S11 (01:11:13):
Ah. You're funny. Thank you.

S2 (01:11:15):
We're out of time, but we're out of time. You've
upset the gun.

S11 (01:11:20):
Okay, so, yes, I do want to pass on our details. So,
as you know, if people are inspired to contact us
about volunteering or share with a friend who they think
would be really good and would really enjoy this, or
even go to our website and, you know, have had
a long connection with Resthaven and want to jump out

(01:11:41):
onto the history website. So a way of contacting um,
me is 0418 105 510 or email volunteer at resthaven dot o.

S2 (01:11:57):
Alright, know that history site. I mean, it's a great
way if people like nostalgia like to take a trip
down memory lane, there's a perfect example of how to
do it.

S11 (01:12:07):
Yes, I know I encourage people to go in and
have a look. They'll, you know, find some really great
things there.

S2 (01:12:14):
Just give us that website again for the history page.

S11 (01:12:16):
Oh, you're testing me now. Uh w-w-w. I send a.

S2 (01:12:23):
Thank you for that and good luck to all those
that go to government House. That sounds like it's going
to be a wonderful day, so I'm sure everyone will
enjoy it. It's a it's a wonderful setting, so be
hard not to enjoy it I think.

S11 (01:12:33):
Thanks, Peter. And and a shout out to all the
mothers for Mother's Day on Sunday.

S2 (01:12:38):
Lovely message. Thanks. It comes from the manager for volunteer
services at Resthaven. All that information up with our show notes.

S13 (01:12:47):
Hi, I'm David Mitchell, health commentator, and you're listening to
leisure link with Peter Greco on Vision Australia radio Network
is wit, wisdom, knowledge and compassion make you show real.

S2 (01:13:03):
Mother's day tomorrow. Hope you have a good day. And
if you're listening to this on podcast, I hope you
had a great day. Let's get some interesting insights from
Marcus Marchant who is CEO for Vistaprint. Marcus, good to
meet you. Thanks for your time. Thanks for having me.

S14 (01:13:16):
I'm looking forward to a chat.

S2 (01:13:18):
Now with some interesting insights. Uh, anything in particular that
took you by surprise.

S14 (01:13:21):
Look. Absolutely. I think, um, well, the research really showed that, um,
you know, flowers and chocolates and gift vouchers are still
the most popular Mother's Day gift. We also learned a
little bit about what mothers don't like, which we can
talk about, which was an interesting topic. But, you know,
the overarching theme was that really that personalized emotional connection
was super important when it comes to Mother's Day gift giving.

S2 (01:13:42):
Now, Marcus, did the mothers respond differently to you and
your research than they did to us? When we give
a gift.

S14 (01:13:48):
That's access, right? I think if we're honest, which is, uh,
really important, I think one thing that Vistaprint survey really
showed was that, um, a lot of mothers, almost half
said that they, um, admitted to having regifted a present
or pretended to like one when they receive it a gift.
And I think that really shows the importance of choosing
a gift that has that personal connection, perhaps.

S2 (01:14:09):
So maybe we probably don't know as mothers as well
as we should, or perhaps been as thoughtful as we should.

S14 (01:14:14):
Well, that could be the answer. But also, I think
because little kids in particular, I think we've all been there.
I remember my own mum, poorly received when I was
in primary school, some beautiful pottery that may not have
been the prettiest, and I'm sure she had to feign
a look of absolute love and regard for that little
piece of pottery that she still has. So I think
we've all been there. You can understand why some mums
have to pretend, but certainly, um, you know, as adults giving, um,

(01:14:39):
giving my mum a present. Now, I probably have no
excuse to not make sure it's her, to make sure
it's really emotionally connected and something she's going to want.

S2 (01:14:47):
And who doesn't love that cute little artwork that we
once did?

S14 (01:14:49):
That's right, that's right. Absolutely. I can imagine the look
on mom's face thinking, last piece of artwork to put
on the fridge for Mother's Day.

S2 (01:14:55):
Well, we're getting off topic a bit, but like in ten, ten, 20,
50 years time, they might look back on it more fondly. But, uh,
that's a topic for another day. What about some of
the gifts that people do give? Um, I mean, a
couple that kind of stood out to me. I thought, oh,
I'm not sure that's very appropriate. Things like, um, weight
loss kits.

S14 (01:15:12):
Yeah. Look, there's this really showed that the one thing
mums or the things mum does not want to receive
are cleaning products or weight loss products, as you can imagine.
And really, that's probably leads into this whole regifting question
and comment. But really, the survey showed that practicality can
backfire if there's not that personal connection behind the gift.
And what's really important is that the present is personal

(01:15:33):
and heartfelt.

S2 (01:15:35):
So what about some ideas for what we can give?
I mean, it might be a little late, but maybe
an early early night for next year, or.

S14 (01:15:43):
Absolutely.

S2 (01:15:43):
A belated Mother's Day gift.

S14 (01:15:45):
Look, completely so the survey really showed us that personalized
gifts are really important, and a quarter of mums said
that they'd love to receive something almost pretty much handmade.
And Vistaprint got a range of things that would fit
in that category. The survey actually also said, I should
say that it's not a lot of money. You don't
need to have a lot of money to make mum happy.
The gifts under $50 are perfectly fine. So, you know,

(01:16:06):
we've got a lot of things in at Vistaprint to
make sure that there's some good products in that range
that are, you know, very cheap for kids to buy
their mum, you know, things from custom photo mugs and
notebooks to cushions and greeting cards are right up there
in terms of that personalized gifting. And if you are
going to give a gift voucher, which we know is
a really common present, one way to make it much
more personal is to to put a handwritten card or

(01:16:28):
a handmade card with a photo on the front of it,
and put that gift voucher inside just to elevate the
the personalization and the emotional connection of that present.

S2 (01:16:37):
That's a great idea, isn't it? Because like a gift
voucher is nice. But I mean, you know, it's a
gift voucher. So, you know, you could have handed over
that money in cash if you were into getting cash. So, uh,
so that that personal sort of impact can, can be
really important as well.

S14 (01:16:50):
Yeah. That's right. Nothing wrong with the gift voucher. That
can be really good reasons for them. And we know
some mums can be very hard to buy for or
perhaps go to a favourite store, in which case you
wanted to go in and and choose something she really likes.
But um, certainly how to elevate that and make it
more personal through the card that goes in is a
lovely touch to to really show that your you're thinking
and appreciating what your mum does for you.

S2 (01:17:10):
Mark over the last couple of years, maybe longer now,
we've heard about the cost of living. Do you think
that might have had any impact on your research?

S14 (01:17:17):
Uh, look, I think, um, you know, it may very
well have. And I feel like, you know, the insight that, um,
I spent a lot of money is to be spent
is is really key. But also, you know, there were
several really showed that the best gifts don't always come
in wrapping paper. And it can really be a heartfelt
thank you. Or just recognizing and appreciating your mom and
spending time with them. You know, 60% of mom said

(01:17:38):
spending time is enough. And I think that's really important.
And again, um, it really isn't about that amount of
money you spend. It's that the connection and if you
can spend time with them, do so even in addition
to giving them a small present.

S2 (01:17:52):
I guess, depending on, uh, mother's individual circumstances. I mean,
you know, again, maybe a little bit off topic, but
we do hear about what, uh, an important or a
deleterious role things like loneliness can have on people's health. Yeah.

S14 (01:18:05):
That's right. I think that, um, you know, especially for
people with older moms and, yeah, the kids are older themselves,
like myself, you know, the the fact that you really
want to spend time with your mum at the time
is the most important gift. And I think that, uh,
mums really cherish that far more than a physical present.
So I really feel like it's a that's an important
way of showing your emotional connection. If you're able to

(01:18:25):
see and spend time with your mum, and.

S2 (01:18:26):
Especially, I guess, you know, these days, young, younger people
tend to be prepared to travel a lot more as
far as employment opportunities go, advancing their careers. So yeah,
if you're in another state and make a special effort
to to get home for, for Mother's Day, that that
would have a huge impact as well. Yeah.

S14 (01:18:42):
Getting home or even a phone call, you know.

S2 (01:18:44):
Yeah.

S14 (01:18:45):
That really long get a cup of tea and have
a great phone chat or, you know, with modern tech,
get a FaceTime or a zoom going and actually see
them face to face. You're not able to visit them
in person. And that goes a long way to to
making a very memorable Mother's Day for your mum.

S2 (01:18:58):
Rather just sending a text.

S14 (01:18:59):
That's right, that's right.

S2 (01:19:01):
Hey, Marcus, you've got an interesting kind of backstory. Tell
us about some of the not for profit work that
you do. Uh, how did that kind of come about?

S14 (01:19:07):
Uh, look, I've been involved in a couple of, um,
interesting boards and not for profits over the last few
years and really enjoy that. I'm working in a lot
in foreign in foreign poverty prevention and and health, which
has been really fascinating. Um, just kind of using my,
you know, my spare time, in addition to my amazing
job at Vistaprint, working on some boards and giving back

(01:19:28):
to the community that way, which has been a wonderful experience.

S2 (01:19:30):
Where did that kind of motivation for that come from?
Sort of. What was it from your mum?

S14 (01:19:36):
Oh, look, I'd like to think that definitely the compassion
that I'd like to contribute. I attribute that to my
mum for sure. And the, the, the way she and my,
my dad raised me. I think that's important. Um, and
also the fact that, you know, this different we really are,
you know, living, living our values and wanting to contribute
to the community in which we, we operate in and, um,
and living living those values and helping them, you know,

(01:19:56):
with some of the companies that I've been involved in
and helped me commerce perspective, some just giving general leadership advice, um,
as you navigate the interesting world of global health. Um,
so it's been a fascinating journey and one I really
enjoyed being part of.

S2 (01:20:08):
Well, I know we've just had the election and, you know, yeah,
a lot of people are doing it tough in Australia,
but often by comparison we haven't got it. Too bad,
I guess. And you've probably seen an experience that the
things that can happen that aren't good in other areas
of the world.

S14 (01:20:23):
Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, a variety of interesting causes,
from tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea to things that have
been involved in and, um, have worked with, um, the
boards I've been involved in and worked on. Um, so
definitely I think we are the lucky country. And it's
times like these on Mother's Day where you really appreciative
for what you have. And, um, you know, if you
were fortunate to be able to give presents to see
our mums and, and live in such a lucky country,

(01:20:45):
I feel like that, um, definitely resonates at Mother's Day
and all the important days of the year where family
comes together.

S2 (01:20:50):
And without wishing to make it too political, obviously, some
of the boards that you serve on kind of report
to government or have that government connection as well. So yeah,
that can make a real impact as well, rather than,
you know, I, I'm doing this great work, but sort
of getting the message across to, to, to governments that
can kind of maybe amplify the work that you do
as well. Yeah.

S14 (01:21:08):
Look at the boards. I'm on an independent of government,
but they certainly get a little bit involved. One of
them in, in in foreign aid, which is, um, you know,
very much um, it depends on the government policy at
the time. So there's definitely a political element of it,
but they are separated from government. But certainly, um, interesting times,
I think globally for us all, as, as we all know,
with a lot going on, a lot of change in

(01:21:29):
the world from the political scene.

S2 (01:21:31):
Yes, maybe some not for the better, but we might
leave that there for today. And Marcus, if people do
want to find out more, maybe some ideas for Mother's Day,
as I say, maybe get in early for for next year,
or maybe make it a special Mother's Day sometime next week.
If the moment has gone for this particular time. Uh,
where can we find out more? You got a website?

S14 (01:21:49):
Yes, absolutely. We've released a dedicated Mother's Day gift guide,
and it's got lots of great personalised options, from custom
photo mugs and notebooks to cushions and cards. And the
best thing to do is visit Vistaprint. Com.au and you'll
see all that inspiration and more importantly, some some great
present ideas that are thoughtful, affordable and mum approved.

S2 (01:22:09):
Well, the research proves it.

S14 (01:22:10):
That's right, that's right.

S2 (01:22:11):
And for all ages. All ages of children. All ages
of mothers.

S14 (01:22:15):
Absolutely. That's you have got a range of a range
of great prizes there where you can put some photos
on it and really bring the, the, the findings from
that research to life about creating gifts with strong emotional connection.

S2 (01:22:26):
It's good to talk to you. Keep up the good work,
both with the Vistaprint, but also in the not for
profit area that you're doing. That's obviously really, really important.
We appreciate you spending some time. And as I mentioned
at the beginning, to all the mothers, I hope they
have a great day tomorrow and hope we all support
them in the way that we should.

S14 (01:22:40):
Thanks very much. Great to chat.

S2 (01:22:42):
That's Marcus Marcus, the CEO for Vistaprint. Two bits of
advice for the Australian Liberal Party. If anyone cares or
cares about my opinion, I hope they appoint Sussan Ley
as their leader. And please stop talking about John Howard
and his values. That was 20 years ago since he

(01:23:04):
won an election. Alright, a couple of quotes before we go.
Here's one from Darren who says from Charles Darwin, it's
not the strongest species that survives, nor is it the
most intelligent, but the one that can adjust best to
its environment. Thank you, Darren, for your quote and a
headline that Steve saw from last Sunday's papers. It simply

(01:23:28):
said elbow easy. So thanks very much, Steve, for contributing that.
Birthdays before we go. Michigan's having a birthday at champion
badminton player from Australia. Happy birthday to you Misha. Also
Sam Hardy, the triathlete and also middle distance runner and
West Coast Eagle supporter. We're keeping that a bit quiet.

(01:23:48):
Happy birthday to you, Sam. And Michael Roeger having a birthday.
That champion marathon runner and middle distance runner from Australia
as well. The unofficial or maybe official mayor of Langhorne
Creek where they grow beautiful grapes for wonderful wines. Finds.
It's a really lovely job, says he. The two Tytler

(01:24:09):
speaking about Teetotallers. Sam Rickard, thanks so much for your help.
Pam Green, thanks so much for yours. And coming up
very soon, if you're listening through 1190 7 a.m., Vicki
Cousins with Australian Geographics. A very lucky win by the
Eagles last week over the Magpies. Happy Mother's Day to
all the mothers tomorrow. Hope you have a great day.
If it's particularly difficult this year our thoughts are very

(01:24:32):
much with you as well. Be kind to yourselves, be
thoughtful and look out for others. All being well. Let's
look back at the same time next week on Vision
Australia Radio and the Reading Radio Network. This is leisure link.

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