HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2014-06-04, Page 22 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, June 4,2014
National Access Awareness Week
% Paralympian Victoria Nolan Speaks at
EE. Madill
Valerie Gillies
Editor/Lucknow Sentinel
Huron County Accessi-
bility Advisory Committee
(HCAAC) and the Avon
Maitland School Board
joined together in hosting
a National Access Aware-
ness Week event at F. E.
Madill Secondary School
on May 28, 2014.
Sandra Thompson,
Accessibility Coordinator
for Huron County, stated
"It is the HCAAC's vision to
inform and inspire people
from across Huron County
on making Huron Couty
accessible for people of all
abilities. The year the com-
mittee added the goal of
working closer with our
School board and our
youth and are over the top
with excitement with the
opportunity to be co -hosts
with the school board."
Lorie Falconer, a mem-
ber of HCAAC acted as
Master of Ceremonies. She
is "thrilled to have the
opportunity to talk to the
youth because they will be
the ones who raise
awareness."
There were two annual
awards presented by the
HCAAC.
Avon Maitland School
Board was recognized in
going above and beyond
recommendations while
designing and building the
new Maitland Valley Public
School. Adaptations were
not only for mobility
issues, but extended to vis-
ual cueing, as well. When
accepting the award on
behalf of the Board, Alice
McDowell was excited to
announce that there will
be even more work done to
make the playground fully
accessible, as well.
Queen's Bakery was rec-
ognized as a community
business that has done
extensive renovations in
preparation for opening
their business to make it
accessible for all. Anne
Elliott and Les Cook
accepted the award.
Guest speaker gold
medal -winning paralym-
pic rowing champion Vic-
toria Nolan began losing
her vision at the age of 18.
When her second child
was born she lost the last
of her vision. She told of
her journey from time of
diagnosis through to win-
ning the medal.
Like many who must live
with challenges, Nolan was
relieved when she was first
diagnosed. She finally knew
why she had problems and
was thrilled that she would
be eligible to use a white
cane that would make her
disability visible to others,
believing that would auto-
matically make people
more sympathetic to her
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challenges and therefore
help her more. It did not
take long before this belief
was crushed.
Nolan revealed that the
hardest part about living
with challenges of any
kind, whether they are
physical, mental or just
being a member of society
is dealing with fears and
weaknesses. She related
many stories of when she
had to find the strength
and confidence from
within to meet these chal-
lenges. Facing the fears
and weaknesses developed
inner strength. However,
she advised that asking for
help is not a sign of weak-
ness as if you want to win
at anything, whether in
everyday life or as an ath-
lete in world class compe-
tition, you cannot do it
alone. You need to find
those you can depend on
Nolan summed up her
presentation by saying this
had been her journey from
being embarrassed at who
she was to being cele-
brated by people for who
she was. She reminded all
that Paralympics means
parallel with the Olympics,
therefore the athletes in
both are equals. They both
need the same strength
and dedication to become
champions. Her challenge
to the students was to
"Keep getting up, be strong
and do something great."
Nolan's daughter Ceili
on being asked what she
learned from the presenta-
tion replied, "I didn't know
some of the stories." She
was referring to some of
the challenges faced by her
mother when people did
not understand and made
things more difficult or
even dangerous. She
continued, "I wish I had
been there then at this age
so I could be there to say
something."
Nolan's husband
Eamonn was very
impressed by the audience
at F. E. Madill Secondary
School. He said it seems to
be a great school and a
great community, adding
"it was better than when
we met Prince Charles."
Valerie Gillies
Students at F. E. Madill
Secondary School gather
to talk to the guest
speaker, paralympic rowing
champion Victoria Nolan
(seated with the Canada
flag on her jacket) with
the opportunity to see her
book at the National Access
Awareness Week event on
May 28, 2014.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Family & friends are invited to a
STAG AND DOE
for
Jenna Van Osch
& Jeff Johnston
at The Lucknow Arena
Music by DJ
Age of Majority is required
Lunch Provided
8 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Tickets $5 (available from the wedding party t
or at the door)
Bus information:
Bus #1 Leaving Goderich (Walmart) 9 p.m.,
Auburn (Sticker's Restaurant) 9:15 p.m.
Dungannon Ball Diamond 9:30 p.m.
Bus #2 Leaving Port Albert (Church) 9 p.m.,
Kingsbridge Church 9:15 p.m. and
Briaq & Helen VanOsch's residence 9:30
For more information on busing & tickets, please call 519-395-3690
Valerie Gillies
Gold medal winning paralympian rower Victoria Nolan poses
with her husband Eamonn, daughter Ceili and guide dog Allan
after speaking to the students of F. E. Madill Secondary School
at the National Access Awareness Week event on May 28, 2014.
Lucknow 4-H Beef Club
Fundraiser Breakfast
at
ate
Mary's Family
Restaurant
June 7th, 2014
8 AM -12 PM
Come out and support our local, 4-H members.