Inbetween all the Para Archery & Paralympic buzz, we thought we will bring you all down to the grass root level, at a local range for a good news story of where Para Archery can blossom.
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Peace International Archery Club started working with disability clients some thirty eight years ago on a very small scale maybe three or four clients from one organisation. But in the last ten to twelve years to today we are now working with thirty three agencies and independent carers, since the NDIS’s introduction this has vastly increased the amount of clients. I must add that the numbers continue to increase with new clients being added on a monthly basis and the club being utilised daily.
Each year the club brings all the agencies and independent carers together for a disability tournament, always on a Friday and usually in August or September with a thirty arrow round with distances and target sizes to suit the ability, this is followed by a staff tournament as we have always encouraged carers to shoot with their clients and gives the clients a chance to stick it to their carers, medals in first second and third a given to both clients and staff there are also a number of perpetual trophies and. A winning team trophy. We do use a simple signaling system as the standard archery signals is a bit difficult for these guys to understand.
The following Friday following the tournament CPL (Cerebral Palsy League) put on a morning tea at there day service and this is where the medal ceremony takes place. Also each year one person receives a new bow, not necessarily that best shooter but someone we feel is trying, listening to instruction helpful and a number of other criteria, and we monitor the clients in conjunction with carers across the organisations.
Since writing this I have taken two calls from parents with a 13 year old and a 19 year with autism that have been to other sports which really could not accomodate them called us and will be coming in about two weeks time.
Written by: John Hans Oam
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