Gold Coast skydive: Forward Steps Mobility helps blind or vision impaired locals live exciting lives
In what's believed to be an Australian-first, 10 blind or vision impaired Gold Coasters leapt out of a plane. FIND OUT WHY.
Gold Coast
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IN what’s believed to be an Australian-first, 10 legally blind locals threw themselves out of a perfectly good plane above the Gold Coast last Saturday to smash stereotypes.
The tandem skydive was organised by Forward Steps Mobility specialist support worker Kim Pilic.
She’s determined to defy and reshape socially constructed barriers, including misconceptions about what people who are blind or vision impaired can and can’t do.
“These skydivers are people with personalities and names, who can all speak for themselves in determining their own recreational interests and choices, including tandem skydiving,” she said.
“Forward Steps Mobility is about reshaping social misconceptions through a philosophical and practical stance during our unique group activities.”
Those who jumped usually use either a guide, seeing eye dog or white cane when travelling around the community independently.
Many of their four-legged friends eagerly awaited the arrival of their mates on Kirra Beach after a 40-second free fall from about 10,000 feet.
George Vorkas, of Coombabah, said too many vision-impaired Gold Coasters were “stuck at home on the couch” feeling isolated, because until Ms Pilic’s service came along, few exciting outdoor adventures were on offer.
“It’s been life changing for me to be offered help to get active in the community, it’s improved my self worth incredibly. You have no idea how humiliating is it trying to go out on your own but services such as this do exist for people like me.”
Mr Vorkas, 55, who has 1 per cent vision, said skydiving was “terrifying and exhilarating all rolled into one”.
“The moment I hit the ground I wanted to jump back on the plane and do it again.”
Ms Pilic said as an orientation and mobility specialist, she focused on the abilities of people who were blind or had low vision.
“My focus is always strengths-based as I consider the possibilities for each individual’s community access, independence and recreational participation,” she said.
“The tandem-skydiving idea actually germinated after being privy to a conversation between two legally blind dog guide travellers who are clients. I knew skydiving would be something daring as well as promoting an extreme sensory experience.”
Gold Coast Skydive owner Archie Jamieson said his instructors found the experience incredibly rewarding.
He said his business was sitting at 70 per cent after the COVID-19 pandemic smashed tourist numbers.
“I still have a staff of 18, it was 23 before COVID, so we’re slowly clawing our way back.”
Mr Jamieson said the least experienced of his jumpers still had 10,000 skydives under their belts and he's completed more than 16,000 jumps.
Exciting return of weekly sports event to Coast's fitness calendar
Nov 27, 2020
RUNNERS, joggers and walkers … dust off your trainers because parkrun is back on the Gold Coast.
After a nine-month hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions, all Queensland events are restarting on Saturday morning with tens of thousands of runners literally jumping for joy.
Main Beach was the birthplace of Australia’s first ever parkrun in April 2011, and since then it’s been the Gold Coast’s flagship event.
The area's event director Paul Relf said during summer about 400 park runners turned up, with a lot of tourists making the pilgrimage to the Main Beach course because it was the first in Australia. During winter numbers dropped to about 250.
“While we are a close knit group, we are very accepting of all newcomers regardless of ability,” Mr Relf said.
“While Olympian Martin Dent holds our course record at 14:43, we’ve had walkers take well over an hour to complete our course.
"New people will never be last as we have a dedicated tailwalker to make sure they all get back safely.
“And to be honest, it’s all about the coffee catch-up after the 5km, with most parkrunners going to the Pavilion Surf Club, Crema Espresso at Tedder Av or Sunset Bar and Grill at Marina Mirage, or other local shops, for coffee and breakfast
“So while we are called parkrun, we don’t mind if you run, jog or walk, as long as you do your 5km. Do 50 parkruns, and we’ll even give you a shirt.”
A condition of the event returning to Queensland, it’s already restarted in other parts of Australia, is that each location must display its own QR code for contact tracing purposes.
Parkruns start at 7am at various Gold Coast locations, with the Main Beach event leaving from Hollindale Park.
The event is free but you must be register in advance to take part. Visit parkrun.com.au to find your nearest event.
HOUSE RULES MEL AND DAVE TAKE MASSIVE PUNT - Nov 7
Box jump over F45 — there’s a new fitness craze in town.
Strong Pilates opens in Hope Island on Saturday morning and is targeted at those who want a high intensity workout with zero impact, meaning there's less chance of injury.
Owners Mel and Dave Willmot, former House Rules contestants, say they “took a punt” on the new studio, that complements their F45 Hope Island gym.
“We still absolutely love our high intensity interval training (HiiT) studio, but a year ago Dave had major back complications and was told that two discs in his lower back were now degenerative,” said Mrs Willmot.
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“He’ll have a couple of rounds of surgery to fix it, and we’re not sure if the surgery will be a 100 per cent permanent fix.
“But he’s been told unless he stops fitness training this is the only viable solution other than living in constant pain.”
Mrs Willmot said they researched pilates as an alternative form of exercise, because every doctor, physio and chiropractor suggested it.
“As everyone knows pilates creates core strength and spinal stabilisation is increased, releasing pressure load on the disc,” she said.
“At first Dave overlooked pilates as a ladies class that was boring for him, especially coming for a HiiT training lifestyle — then we found Strong Pilates.”
Flying to Melbourne, with Mr Willmot still not convinced, the couple fell in love with the innovative concept after taking the classes and feeling “the burn”.
“It’s like HiiT training on a reformer bed.
“We were addicted. It is such a tough workout but Dave had no pain after a 600 calorie burn class. From there we begun the journey to open our own studio on the Gold Coast.
“Hope Island is home to a lot of sportsmen and women who want to train but can’t so we want to help just like we will help Dave’s recovery.”
The studio, at 1 Marina Quays Blvd, Hope Island, is equipped with 15 rowformer machines.
Mrs Willmot said classes varied daily, alternating between a focus on upper body, lower body, abdominals, and obliques, paired with multiple rowing blocks.
“Every day is a little different, but you’re always guaranteed the perfect amount of cardio to burn calories and improve endurance,” she said.
“We’re also launching a teacher-assist, movement screen technology that is exclusive to Strong Pilates studios. This is all coupled with big beats, specifically curated music playlists for our network of studios to push you through one more rep when the fatigue sets in.”
For details visit strongpilates.com.au
MET THE MAN WHO RAN A MARATHON DURING QUARANTINE
DIMITRI Zafiriadis wasn’t planning on running a 42km marathon in his Gold Coast hotel room during his 14-day quarantine.
It just happened.
“I woke up on Saturday morning and didn’t have anything to do and the beach looked beautiful and the waves looked beautiful and I thought ‘why not do it now’,” said the father of three.
Mr Zafiriadis, 47, signed up to the do the virtual Manchester Marathon before he left the UK nearly two weeks ago. But before he had the chance to do it, he flew to Australia to visit his mother in Brisbane who is battling cancer. The virtual marathon allows people to run the event in their own time during October.
Despite not having any new scenery for more than three hours, he said the run was quite enjoyable with a sea breeze.
“It wasn’t boring, I had a portable speaker and I’m fortunate to have a balcony overlooking the beach and am on the sixth floor so I could watch the surfers and people go by,” he said.
“A few people noticed me from below and I would get little cheers. I actually had a lot of fun watching the world go by, focusing on the logistics of the event, getting my food.
“The doorbell also rang for breakfast about 7.30am and I did have to walk for two laps while unpacking it.”
Mr Zafiriadis said from the door of his QT hotel room to the balcony was only about 10 strides, so it meant he had to be careful with how he turned so as not to damage his knees, ankles and quads.
He was done and dusted before noon and treated himself to a big back of ice and a “refreshing” six pack of Bryon Bay lager.
“It was quite cathartic really, I had lots of time to think and I just can’t wait to get out and see mum and dad.
“This was my third marathon. My objective is to qualify for the London Marathon, you must have a time of three hours and seven minutes.
“I haven’t qualified yet, with my time for the previous Manchester Marathon three hours and 13 minutes and for the New York Marathon my time was also three hours and 13 minutes, incredibly.”
He completed his hotel marathon in under four hours.
The runner, who posts his antics on Instagram as @dee.zed.runs, shared a photo of himself doing an aerial surfing move atop an ironing board for a 10km Halloween charity run he also did in his room.
Without the ability to whip up a scary costume, he dressed up as “surfer Andy Irons meets journalist Hunter S Thompson”.
“My neighbour has now started running in her bedroom,” he said.
Mr Zafiriadis said being stuck in quarantine was quite confronting and he was grateful to have a room with access to fresh air.
“I’d be like a caged tiger if I got one of those small rooms with no balcony or window. It’s already wearing thin.
“Thankfully Dad is picking me up at 7am on Sunday and he’ll have a steak and kidney Yatala Pie for me and I’ll have a quick 20-minute swim and then race up to Brisbane to give Mum a big hug.”
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