What a great surprise to see Adam Hall take the gold medal at the Winter Paralympics last week.
His courageous performance was outstanding especially after he fell and the commentators literally wrote him out of contention for a medal in the Stand-up Slalom event.
Adam is clearly a determined young man who has worked very hard to make his dreams come true.
Competing at an international level takes tenacity and commitment and this young man is a role model to all people who face the challenge of living with a disability daily.
It was the look of pride on his mother’s face when he received the gold medal that reminded me how important whanau are for people living with disabilities.
I have no doubt that Adam is where he is today because of the support of his whanau and his very proud mother.
I was reminded again about the importance of whanau caring for whanau when watching a programme where the loving support and guidance of a father has led to his two adult children thriving despite some significant challenges including a number of disabilities.
This man has dedicated the last 40 years to single handily caring for his children and because of him they are happy and thriving adults.
Everyday is a challenge for this man but he has never doubted he was doing the right thing despite the views of others.
I know that many of us have experienced real challenges in our lives when we take on the care of our loved ones.
I remember the experience my whanau had with our brother who was tetraplegic.
It was our greatest wish that our brother could enjoy the pleasures of life, to be able to participate in the way he determined, and to feel that nothing was beyond him.
Yet at times our whanau was overwhelmed and we did not have the time or access to information that would have helped to make caring for him easier.
The contribution whanau carers make should never be under estimated. Often they are not paid for their support and juggle caring for their whanau alongside other work and family responsibilities.
The selfless dedication and generosity of spirit these whanau demonstrate every day is not without considerable sacrifice and impact on their own lives.
It is because of the strength of whanau that people with disabilities are overcoming what feels like insurmountable odds and challenging perceptions about what they can achieve.
