Courtney Wiebeck

Peter's guest on Vision Extra is Courtney Webeck. Cricketer; Tennis Athlete and student Courtney is the 2024 Blind Australian of the year. 

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:14):
On Vision Australia Radio. This is Vision Xtra with Peter Greco.

S2 (00:23):
The Blind Australian of the year has just been announced.
It is Courtney Weisbeck and Courtney is on the line. Courtney,
welcome and congratulations.

S3 (00:31):
Thank you so much.

S2 (00:32):
I believe it was quite a big night.

S3 (00:34):
It was it was awesome to head up to Brisbane
and there was a lot of tough competition across the finalists.
The other two finalists have both achieved so much and
done a lot for the VII community. So yeah, it
could have went any way and pretty honoured to come
away and and win the Blind Australian of the year.

S2 (00:55):
Yeah, fantastic. And you're so young too. I think without
any shadow of doubt, you'd be one of the youngest winners.
So were still lots ahead of you. Just a little
bit about yourself. You have a vision impairment you're you
happy to share a little bit about that? What is
it and how does it impact upon your sight?

S3 (01:09):
Yeah. So I have sclerocornea, which is ultimately like looking
through thick fog all day. So that brings challenges of
depth perception. I'm currently studying a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology.
So a lot of looking at screens and stuff brings
those challenges in that. But yeah, I've been lucky enough
to represent Australia in both blind cricket and blind tennis

(01:33):
for the past two years, and got to captain the
Aussie women's cricket team for the first time in England
last year against England. Um, and I've just returned home
from Europe, where I won five gold and two silvers
across the three international tournaments.

S2 (01:48):
Pretty quiet year, really.

S3 (01:50):
Yeah.

S2 (01:52):
Hey Courtney about your side to was that from birth or. Yeah.

S3 (01:56):
Yeah it was. Yeah.

S2 (01:57):
You grew up on a farm or grew up on property?

S3 (01:59):
Yeah, I've grown up in Gloucester. Um, on a beef
beef cattle property, um, with horses. I've grown up riding
horses and being in the agriculture world for my whole life,
which has been really, really cool and has taught me
a lot of life, life lessons and experiences and hasn't
held me back from anything.

S2 (02:18):
What about as far as, you know, diagnosis and then
what you do as far as education that goes? Is it,
uh uh, a bit of a challenge, I guess, both
for you and your family, because, you know, I guess
being a little bit tucked away rather than in downtown, uh,
a city of a city of Australia?

S3 (02:33):
Yeah, definitely. I had, um, an amazing ophthalmology team at
Westmead Children's Hospital under professor Frank Martin. So he always
told me there's there's nothing that will stop me and
told me to to push my limits ultimately. And I
think growing up in Gloucester, there was no one else
with a vision impairment and that. But I started playing

(02:54):
sport towards the end of primary school and, and going
to to camps like Braille camp and blind sports camps
and just getting out there and knowing other kids or, um,
And people with the same vision impairment or similar, and
just talking about what you're going through and, and working
out those things and then, um, seeing what adjustments they have, say,

(03:16):
in their life, day to day life or in the classroom,
and then seeing if it works for you. It's all about,
I guess, trial and error. So not everything's going to
work for each other.

S2 (03:25):
What about now, Courtney? Can you take the girl out
of the country? But the country? Not out of the girl?

S3 (03:30):
Yeah, I'd say so. Um, I hope so.

S2 (03:33):
At least now you've won this Blonde Australian of the
year award. Fantastic. Have you won another award? Five years
in a row?

S3 (03:42):
Yeah, I was lucky enough. I won the Gloucester Sportsperson
of the year five years in a row throughout high school. Um,
there was a few challenges there with with Covid and
not much happening. But yeah, I won that five years
in a row. So this year, um, I was a
guest speaker at the Awards Is Dead, which was really
cool to give back and tell my story to the community.

(04:03):
And then. Yeah, to say, I think Brad Raynor from
BMX won it this year. So yeah there's there's great
talent in Gloucester. And to get it five years in
a row it was was pretty cool. Yeah.

S2 (04:13):
Just judging by what you're studying you're obviously very talented
academically as well. But the fact that you're kind of
good at sport, does that kind of help with the
integration or maybe being accepted by your peers at school?
If you're the only person with a vision impairment at
your school?

S3 (04:29):
Yeah, I'd say so. Through high school, we had a
very small year group, which was was quite nice. So
it was, I think maybe by the end of graduation
about 2025. So I still was quite small and I
study at uni online. So, um, when I go out
for intensive schools, I think it's it's all pretty inclusive. Um,

(04:49):
the way they, they format stuff and, and I'm under
the elite athlete program at the University of New England.
So if I'm away, I got my exam, had to
have my exams pushed back a couple of weeks while
I was overseas competing this year. So I think it's
just all about asking the questions and seeing what adjustments
they can make from not just your peers, but your
lecturers and coordinators as well.

S2 (05:10):
We should point out that the Blind Australian of the
year is sponsored by Linc Visions, and Terry O'Neill and
the team do a great job there. Did you get
to meet Reggie Bird?

S3 (05:18):
I sure did. I got to meet Reggie on the
red carpet.

S2 (05:23):
Uh, you're probably a bit too young for Big Brother.
I think it might still be around now, but Reggie
might have been a bit before your time.

S3 (05:29):
Yeah, he won it the year I was born, so, um. Yeah,
that was. That was pretty cool. But then I guess
you won it back again two years ago in 2022.
So I, um, I do actually remember watching a few
episodes that year, so I can't say I watched them
the first time around, but yeah, definitely the second time.

S2 (05:46):
Did Reggie say, do you make me feel old telling
me that I wanted the year you were born?

S3 (05:50):
I didn't actually tell her that. Um, yeah. I'm sure
she could have really worked it out herself.

S2 (05:56):
I could tell you a bit. A bit? Yeah. You
chatted a bit about your your visual impairment and the
impact that it has on your site. You talked about, uh,
depth perception. I'm not a no sportsperson, Courtney, but playing
cricket and tennis, I would have thought depth perception would
have been fairly important. Yeah.

S3 (06:10):
Me too. To be honest, I think growing up you
always went off those type of sports would be a
lot very challenging and stuff. But I think to play
both tennis and cricket, they're they're so similar based off
the ability game with just the small little adjustments with
the bell and the ball and say bowling underarm and
cricket and having those adjustments make it so much more

(06:32):
easy for people with vision impairment to go out and
try the sport and, and just see how enjoyable it is.
So yeah, definitely come with a lot of challenges. That's
without a doubt. And I think the more you practice,
the better you're going to get at something. It's all
about having fun through the through the journey as well. Now,
as I.

S2 (06:51):
Said, you're obviously very talented academically, but you're also challenged
in other sporting areas that you have. You did you
win an 800 meter title on the track?

S3 (07:01):
Yeah, yeah, I did back I think nearly ten years ago.
Now they're feeling the old saying that. But, um, yeah,
2015 I, I found out about para athletics and stuff
and somehow I went to the 800m. I could have
went something shorter because I didn't like trying to drown
out high school and stuff. But yeah, I won an
800m in, in 2015. Um, in primary school, which, which

(07:25):
I still remember to hear that and say that I
won was was amazing. It was quite a shock for
an 11 year old, really. And yeah, I think that
experience probably taught me a lot. And I was lucky
enough to continue doing athletics all through high school and
got to travel most of the country doing it.

S2 (07:43):
So why cricket and tennis? Why not athletics, I guess.
I guess it depends on your, uh, individuality in a sense.
But of course, you know, if you stick to track
and field chance of Paralympic Games, I know you've represented
Australia at both tennis and cricket, but why? Tennis and cricket.

S3 (07:57):
I still love athletics so much. Um, but when I,
I went to Paralympic time and tri day Friday, and
both tennis and cricket was there. And I went around
the world. I did rowing, cycling, but all the different sports,
and I just really love tennis. I think I spotted
Rafa won the show that year, so that was probably

(08:19):
two of my favourite tennis players. So I was like, oh,
this is really cool to to have. And it's so
similar to traditional tennis. You're still using everything all bit
the same and it's just those small adjustments and stuff.
But I just clicked and then, um, I played tennis
for a few months and some, a few people were like, oh,
you should try cricket. Uh, and I was like, oh,

(08:40):
why not at the moment? And then I went to
a women's come and try, um, camp over in Adelaide
that November. And I just loved the, the game and
just the camaraderie. I hadn't really played much team sport. Um,
so yeah, to go over there and I just loved
both sports and yeah, I've seen the opportunity that presented, Um,

(09:03):
if I was selected to go over to England, to
the World Blind Games last year in Birmingham. So I
think I set that goal to get selected, I didn't
I thought I may have had to make a choice
between the two sports, but to play two sports for
a country in the same day doesn't happen too often.
So that was really exciting. And yeah, now to play
both sports is really cool and I love it though.

S2 (09:25):
And of course with the Australian cricket team it was
the first, wasn't it? The first time an Australian blind
women's cricket team had represented the country at international competition?

S3 (09:34):
Yeah, yeah. That's correct.

S2 (09:35):
And you were captain of the team, were you?

S3 (09:37):
Yeah. So, um, I captained didn't play the first game.
So you come down sixth. So being vice captain, I
stepped up and captained that first game which which was
an incredible honour. Very nervous. I hadn't really done too
much in the leadership side of things, but I had
great coaching staff in Taylor and Lockie, and then the
girls really just come together and we got an early wicket.

(09:58):
The England captain, we got out in the second over,
so I think that really just built the momentum for
that first bowling innings, and then went in with the
bat and chased them down and I think 14 overs. So, um,
that really progressed. And then I vice captain in the
last four games and went and played at Edgbaston to
win a silver medal against India in the final.

S2 (10:18):
Yeah, fairly controversial game, but I won't lead you down
that path. Courtney, there's a little rule on this radio program, Courtney,
that when we talk about blind cricket, we try not
to mention Locky Wallace. I'm glad you didn't.

S3 (10:29):
Oh, okay.

S2 (10:32):
No, he's he's a very good lad. And he certainly
does a lot as far as blind cricket goes. Uh,
what about the sort of leadership role and the team thing?
As you say, it's a little bit unique. If you're
playing tennis and athletics, you enjoy that side of things.
I've been lucky enough to speak to a number of
the Australian girls that have played, and they're all tremendous
as far as individuals go.

S3 (10:53):
Yeah, definitely. I think, um, you've got to be, I
think an individual athlete. Anyway, to play cricket, you have
to be good at either bowling, batting, fielding, all of
it really to make that best 11 side and we're
all from all over the state, whether it's SA, Vic,
New South Wales and Queensland, WA. Um then tailored our
coaches from Tassie. So when we come together at a

(11:16):
training camp, we've all got to come with with our
skills and stuff. And I think the girls you've got
Bo and Addie, the, the young girls from Adelaide and
that that you look at the strength that will come
through in the, in the coming years of them. And, um,
there's a few young girls here in New South Wales
and I'm sure there's others in other states that that
will really progress the game, um, for the better across,

(11:38):
across the years to come. Which, which is awesome. So
both Taylor and Locky and our coaching staff and the
state coaches are doing a really, really good job at that. Well, that's.

S2 (11:47):
Why you've mentioned Locky. I told you not to mention him. Yeah,
it's certainly a young team and certainly got a very
bright future. Now we're running out of time rapidly. But
tell us a bit about your studies. Uh, I can
kind of guess why you've chosen this particular career path
or potentially this career path.

S3 (12:02):
Yeah. I, um, I did choose to study here straight
out of school. I chose to do AG and then change.
But I think just to relate it back to sport, um,
going back to the degree you go, oh, wow. Like,
you don't realise how important, say the nutrition, the psychology.
Like you go out on the field and play sport.
Everyone's fit because that's what we try day in, day

(12:23):
out to do. But you've got to have that mental
side ready. And, um, I think I went over to
Italy and I think the food, you really don't realise
how lucky we are in Australia. Like, I, I guess
we grow our own beef and then eat it. So, um,
over there, it's like, oh, okay, we don't have all
these options and stuff. So nutrition is, is really important for,

(12:45):
for all aspects I think studying that and then just um,
all the physical parts of, of the game of tennis
and cricket really relate back to my, my degree, which,
which I guess helps to have that insight and knowledge
in a way.

S2 (12:59):
Where are you at with that, Courtney?

S3 (13:00):
I'm in my first year of the degree.

S2 (13:02):
Okay. And how are you finding it so far? I mean,
I know we're running out of time, and we are,
but what about in terms of how you kind of
handle it with your visual impairment? You study? What sort
of technology do you use?

S3 (13:14):
Yeah. So I'm really lucky that I go online to
everything's already quite accessible and stuff. And, um, I use
voice over and zoom and all of our lectures are
recorded and stuff, so it's not like I have that
much reading to do. If I have a textbook reading,
I just put voice over and it reads it. The
images get dictated by the uni. So yeah, all the

(13:35):
small adjustments which which make it all the much easier
to study. And then I get a scribe when I
go to uni, um, for my practical lessons to come
out and tell me, oh, that that might be the
tibula to the fibula and then describe it and stuff
like that, which is really helpful.

S2 (13:49):
Which uni is that?

S3 (13:50):
That's through the University of New England in Armidale.

S2 (13:54):
Yeah. Obviously you've been very, very supportive, which is fantastic.

S3 (13:57):
Yeah, they definitely have.

S2 (13:59):
Well you've got so much ahead of you. I hope
we can speak to you again in the future. But.
So congratulations again to Terry O'Neill where Reggie and also
were a car on that link. So congratulations for all
the great work that they've done putting this together. Sounds
like it was a great night. We've only had about
10 or 12 minutes with you. It sounds like you're
a very worthy winner. I know you are. Enjoy the

(14:21):
moment and good luck with the future. I hope we
can speak again.

S3 (14:23):
Thank you so much. It was an amazing night on
Saturday night with. With Terry and the Link Vision team.
So yeah, it's incredible. And congratulations to Penny from Wahoo
who took out the other award. So yeah, thank you
so much for having me on the radio.

S2 (14:38):
Yeah, there she goes. That's the very delightful Courtney way
back there talking about being the Australian of the year
for 2024.

S4 (14:47):
Thank you for listening to Vision Xtra with Peter Greco.
You can find this interview on the Focal Point podcast.
This show was produced in the Adelaide studios of Vision
Australia Radio.