Starting my owm charitable foundation-"Sporting Dreams"

As some people may have read, I have recently launched a foundation called Sporting Dreams, which aims to help people with physical disabilities enjoy fun, fitness and personal development through sport and achieve their sporting dreams.

The idea came about last year when I won $10 000 in the Cosmopolitan fun fearless female awards ( a wonderful red carpet occassion- I even got to do a photoshoot for the magazine!)

Sporting Each year we will provide grants to beginner ($250) and developing athletes ($500) to cover equipment, training and competition costs, which are significantly higher for athletes with disabilities.

Twenty per cent of Australians have a disability*, and face additional costs to get physically active. For an able-bodied child to try out the sport of cycling, their parents can hire a bike or pick one up for about $100. A child in a wheelchair needs a basic handcycle costing $1500, then a racing one costing up to $12,000. A pair of running shoes costs about $200 and a racing wheelchair costs up to $3000. So, as you can see, there is great need for this charity.

Recently, when I decided to take up handcycling as a form of cross training, I was astonished to find my racing bike would cost $6000. So I know first hand just how much a grant like this can mean.

When I was 12 I remember my family really couldn't afford the $500 it would cost for me to compete at the Junior Wheelchair Nationals in Sydney. A local builder came forward and offered me the money after there was a story about it in the local paper. I have never forgotten that kind gesture. Not only did it enable me to travel to Sydney and break my first Australian records, it made me feel like someone believed in me and I wanted to swim well to say 'thank you’. It is exactly this kind of inspiration and experience I hope to give up and coming athletes through my charity.

Being involved in sport at all levels increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. More importantly, acknowledging an athlete with a grant does far more than provide vital funds, it also sends an inspiring message that “we believe in you.”

One thing I think is very important is there are no age restrictions. We help young kids getting started, as well as adults who have perhaps just had an accident and are finding out about disability sport for the first time.

Sporting Dreams is the culmination of a lifelong ambition for me to give something back to sport and leave a legacy for future athletes. It all came about when I won the inaugural Fun Fearless Female award from Cosmopolitan magazine. Along with a glossy photoshoot and my story appearing in the magazine, I was flown to Sydney for a makeover and red carpet event where I was presented with a cheque for $10,000 to make my dream come true. I am proud to be partnering with the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association (the peak body in Queensland for athletes with disability), who will administer Sporting Dreams on my behalf.

Here is the newspaper story about the launch http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/jun/30/paraplegic-swimmers-mission/


WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Spread the word about Sporting Dreams. If you are an athlete with a disability, or know someone who could be helped by a grant, please download an application form from http://www.sportingdreams.org/.

Donate. For $250 you can put a smile on the face of a child with disability by helping them to get started in a sport. For $1000 you can support a future champion by helping a developing athlete with disability. You will get a motivational speech by myself and have a grant named after your company/organisation.

Already, local support has been fantastic, with Katie Mawditt from Infinity Graphic Innovations donating her time to create the Sporting Dreams website . The lovely Sporting Dreams logo was created by Coast graphic designer Kylie Jackat of Dalee Designs, and donations have been received from the Caloundra Zonta Club, E-Noosa realty and Apex Queensland.


TRAINING UPDATE

Meanwhile, I have been busy pursuing my own sporting dream of a medal in Beijing. I have been back in the water for several weeks now, after burning my leg. Even though I had been training by riding my bike daily while I wasn’t able to swim, the first day was quite a shock to the system and left me very tired … so much so that on the way home from the pool I accidentally drove home to my mum’s house, which I moved out of seven years ago.

The countdown to the Games is well and truly on and I look forward to representing Australia on the world stage.

In the meantime, don’t forget, if you would like to support Sporting Dreams, visit www.marayke.com or www.sportingdreams.org

With thanks to Infinity Graphic Innovations, Katie Mawditt; Apex Queensland; the Zonta Club of Caloundra; and Thinking Ergonomix.