Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to inform the House of the outstanding efforts of Paralympian, Leanne Del Toso, who lives in Watsonia in my electorate of Jagajaga. Leanne is a wheelchair basketball champion, who is now setting her sights on riding her modified two-wheel bike over the steep hills of Thailand to raise money for charity. Leanne, who won a silver medal at the London Paralympics, will ride 600 kilometres across Thailand's unforgiving roads to raise money to purchase wheelchairs for young people with disability. The ride is not only a testament to Leanne's courage and determination; it is also an example of the ability of people with disability and the social connectedness associated with sport and recreation. Last year Leanne also completed the CyclePower Fiji, an annual ride organised by Victorian not-for-profit organisation Disability Sport and Recreation to raise awareness about the sporting abilities of people with disability.

Another local Paralympian and friend of mine, Sam Bramham, also completed the 100 kilometre ride around Fiji last year. Leanne and fellow CyclePower Thailand riders will visit Phuket Special School to encourage sporting activities among the 300 students with special needs, using sports equipment donated by Disability Sport and Recreation. I wish Leanne and everyone else— (Time expired)