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.

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