Nicole's story
Chasing the next adventure
Nicole is all about staying active. She lives for the outdoors and any activity that gets her heart pumping.
“I love sports like kayaking, and I’m really into soccer,” she says. “I follow the English Premier League, I’ve had a few fun rivalries with my friends since we all go for different teams.”
Nicole was born with Cerebral Palsy and goes through her life always looking for the next goal to tick off her list.
She comes from a big family and is no stranger to large, loud family gatherings.
“It feels odd when the house is quiet; it’s nice that there are always people around,” she says.
In her day-to-day, she works as a lived experience representative and disability advocate.
“They do a great accessible sports program. When I went kayaking, they were able to adapt how I need to sit in the kayak so that I don’t slip,” she says.
Nicole is also a pilates regular. Depending on what she has on each week, she tries to get a session in as often as possible.
“I just love gymming!” She says.
Her support workers play a big role in helping her stay on the go. In her downtime, she’ll usually be out grabbing a coffee or going to the movies with friends.
“It's great to have them with me to be able to go out socially,” she says.
Having the right help is very important to her. She says the Disability Gateway can point people in the right direction.
“No two people are the same; everyone’s going to have different needs. It’s a great way to get the information you might want to know.”
She continues, “Having the right support means I can do the things I want to and go further in reaching my dreams.”
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Where do you kayak? I actually did it as a school sport for a term. It was really cool to experience. My family, even though some of them live together with me, everyone lives very autonomously. They're there, but I still need support workers during the day because they have their own lives. So, it's great to have support workers with me to be able to go out socially. And I love the outdoors. My parents, you know, English is their second language. So, I remember my mum saying, when I was born, she just didn't know what to do. Services like Disability Gateway would be a great resource for parents looking for services because interpreters would be very useful for families where English is their second language. Because that barrier will be broken down. I come here with support workers to exercise. I just love gymming, so I try to come here when I can. No two people are the same. Everyone is going to have different needs. If it's a new support worker, I tend to let them know how best to support me so that they know before they arrive. On Disability Gateway, you can find the support you need to live the way you want to. |
Call 1800 643 787. For a free TIS Interpreter, call 131 450. Or visit disabilitygateway.gov.au/chinese-simplified |
| Audio |
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Where do you kayak? I actually did it as a school sport for a term. It was really cool to experience. My family, even though some of them live together with me, everyone lives very autonomously. They're there, but I still need support workers during the day because they have their own lives. So, it's great to have support workers with me to be able to go out socially. And I love the outdoors. My parents, you know, English is their second language. So, I remember my mum saying, when I was born, she just didn't know what to do. Services like Disability Gateway would be a great resource for parents looking for services because interpreters would be very useful for families where English is their second language. Because that barrier will be broken down. I come here with support workers to exercise. I just love gymming, so I try to come here when I can. No two people are the same. Everyone is going to have different needs. If it's a new support worker, I tend to let them know how best to support me so that they know before they arrive. On Disability Gateway, you can find the support you need to live the way you want to. |
Call 1800 643 787. For a free TIS Interpreter, call 131 450. Or visit disabilitygateway.gov.au/chinese-simplified |