VIC

Our What Ability Day at AAMI Park was a huge success, bringing in over 50 athletes and 200 participants for a day of inflatable dartboard-throwing, soda-drinking, football-kicking fun. And media outlets were all over it!

Popular TV networks were keen to know exactly how these high-profile athletes were choosing to spend their weekend, and found out they were connecting with the community and bringing happiness to people living with a disability.

The Today Show – Weekend

The Weekend Today with hosts Clint Stanaway and Belinda Russell was one of these major programs. The hosts spoke to our What Ability athletes, Collingwood defender’s Brayden Maynard and Collingwood Super Netball’s Kelsey Browne. They wanted to know what the day involved, and it was here that our athletes revealed just how excited they were!

“It’s a really exciting day for What Ability. We can’t wait to have lots of fun! That’s the main purpose of today,” Browne said.

“I just feel like the main thing is bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. It’s a day where they can come out, they can have fun, everyone can enjoy themselves personally,” Maynard added.

7News

7News reporter Mitch Cleary came down for the day to showcase the fun activities and friendships between the athletes and participants.

“[The participants] are having fun and enjoying the time together and building relationships along the way,” Essendon Midfielder Darcy Parish explained.

“Having fun, that’s all we wanna do anyway,” said AAMI ambassador and friend of What Ability, Collingwood Forward’s Sabrina Frederick

Brayden Maynard and Carlton FC’s Caleb Marchbank were also interviewed, speaking about their upcoming games.

9News

Lastly, 9News interviewed Darcy Parish about what being a support worker at What Ability is like. Parish highlighted the importance of making sure the participant is heard.

“We get activities planned on our day job…it’s whatever the participant wants to do,” he informed.

Participants were also interviewed, and asked about what the best part of the day was.

“Being out here and also having fun,” they replied.

Sign up to our event waitlist to find out when our next big event is happening in your area!

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A post shared by What Ability | Happiness Comes First (@whatability)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by What Ability | Happiness Comes First (@whatability)

Our first What Ability Day of 2023 happened at AAMI Park and what a day it was!

The day brought the Melbourne community together for a day filled with athletes, activities, fun, smiles and of course, happiness. 

What Ability has been active in Melbourne since October 2022, and this was a great chance to see how much we have grown since then.

Over 200 participants and 50 athletes, including Collingwood Magpies’ Kelsey Browne, Collingwood FC’s Brayden Maynard and Essendon FC’s Maddy Prespakis, came down for the day.

Participants had the best time kicking the ball around, throwing the frisbee, kicking at the dartboard and relaxing on the field alongside athletes from the top sporting codes.

Belinda Woolford, What Ability CEO said “Days like this reminds me why putting happiness first for people living with a disability is so important!”

“Seeing everyone having fun and enjoying themselves was such a joy, and it wouldn’t have been possible without our Major Partners, volunteers and our What Ability athletes.”

“Your commitment to inclusion and support for those with disabilities is truly inspiring, and we hope to continue to work together to make our community a more inclusive place.”

The event was even featured by the Weekend Today with Clint Stanaway and Belinda Russell and we are very thankful to be able to share our work in helping to build a more inclusive Australia.

Thank you to everyone involved in the day, including AAMI Park, our athletes, volunteers and support workers. A huge shout out to our Major Partners AAMI, Harvey Norman, Optus, Shaw and Partners & Tyrepower for helping us create an unforgettable day for people living with a disability! 

Also big thanks to Soda Stream, My Muscle Chef, O’Briens and Imperial First Aid for keeping us refreshed and safe on the day!

Check out the full photo album here.

Hey Melbourne! Our What Ability Day at AAMI Park is happening on Sunday, 12 February and you’re invited!

What Ability Days were developed to help us raise awareness for the sector, provide an opportunity for our athletes to get involved and create lifelong memories!

Starting at 11am and concluding at 1pm, the What Ability Day at AAMI Park is a free disability inclusive event to meet your local athletes.

There are so many fun ways to spend your time at our What Ability Day. You can kick a ball around with our What Ability athletes in our activity zone or kick back and hang out with friends at the chill out zone.

There are only 200 spots available, so sign up here to secure your spot

Not in Melbourne? No problem! Sign up to our event waitlist and keep your eyes peeled for when our next big event come to your state.

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