Dubuque River Rides

Main Menu

  • Home
  • River Sports
  • Kayaks
  • Surfing
  • Kiteboarding
  • Financial

Dubuque River Rides

Header Banner

Dubuque River Rides

  • Home
  • River Sports
  • Kayaks
  • Surfing
  • Kiteboarding
  • Financial
River Sports
Home›River Sports›This Dragon Boat Team For Autistic Kids Is Crossing More Than Waves

This Dragon Boat Team For Autistic Kids Is Crossing More Than Waves

By Maria Bates
June 26, 2022
0
0

As the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival returns after a two-year hiatus due to a pandemic, a team took to the Rideau River on Saturday with more than speed and a gold medal in mind .

One of the boats gliding over the waves at Mooney’s Bay carried the team from Ausome Ottawa, a sports and recreation charity for children with autism.

The charity seeks to fill a void in the community as many sporting events are not designed for children with autism or other neurodivergent disorders.

“Neurotypical sport is not really suited for our children,” said Kayla Garvey, program supervisor and longtime staff member.

“These programs that we run, we shape them to fit our kids. We don’t want to change our kids. We don’t want them to fit the typical mold that some coaches would want.”

True to this mission statement, during Saturday’s race the team allowed parents and others to show their support by jumping into the boat, with staff cheering them all on.

If anyone in the boat felt angry because something was wrong with them, the team was also prepared to take a second to breathe and calm down before continuing to push through the water.

About more than winning

Garvey said some kids get “really excited” when told they need to use their “superhero power” and push harder – some even screaming.

“Dragon Boats [are] something special. We are all trapped on a boat together,” she said. “So we have to make the most of it. We have to get along.”

In town and outside10:26Ausome Ottawa Dragon Boat Team

We accompany a group of autistic children (and some of their parents) as they train for the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival.

Team coach Andrea Nicholls said the children in the boat did not always communicate verbally, sometimes relying on physical signals.

Speaking ahead of race day, Nicholls said his goal was to not only finish the race but also improve on his previous times.

“It’s not about winning the race for us. It’s about being together, being a team and practicing what we’ve been practicing,” she told CBC Radio. In town and outside.

Members of the Ausome Ottawa Dragon Boat Team practice ahead of the city’s annual Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place in June 2022 for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 19. (Giacomo Panico/CBC)

“Go Big or Go Home”

“In our house, it’s go big or go home,” said Tori Hammond, whose son Finn helps paddle the boat.

“Otherwise, he’ll be one of those kids that you never know how far he can go. You never know what challenges he wants to take on.”

Logan Ryan, who sits in the front of the Dragon Boat, said he felt like an important part of the team. With his mother Nina seated next to him, the two help set the tone for those behind them.

While some of Logan’s classmates may feel frustrated that he couldn’t play other sports at the same level, Ausome Ottawa created an environment, Nina said, where her son quickly learned the skills to run. on the water.

“I’m proud. Like I could do things. Like I could accomplish things,” Logan said.

“They have a knack for teaching kids about the spectrum,” Nina added. “I’m super proud of him.”

Related posts:

  1. Damaged property nears May 14 demolition deadline | News, Sports, Jobs
  2. Portsmouth men’s tennis remain unbeaten with victory over Dover NHIAA
  3. The RCAF Women’s Water Polo Team is back in the pool – The American River Current
  4. Preview: Santa Fe vs River Plate

Categories

  • Financial
  • Kayaks
  • Kiteboarding
  • River Sports
  • Surfing

Recent Posts

  • Before Surfing It: Bird Rock, 1858
  • Excavator-ready mosaic on coast expansion
  • Brittney Griner back in Russian cannabis court
  • Ukrainian paddlers to push hard at world championships in Dartmouth, reminding that ‘the sport must live’ despite the war
  • The Vans US Open of Surfing called ON for Women

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions