Plucky foursome rise to challenge

By LES WATKINS - North Shore Times

Katrina Matich has been playing basketball and soccer for the very first time.

Other team members had to tell her when the ball was coming her way – and which way to throw or kick it – because to her it was invisible.

The 23-year-old has never seen either game played because of a severe eye defect she suffered as a baby.

"My sight’s so poor that I’ve never learnt to read," says Katrina of Birkenhead, who is an orderly at North Shore Hospital.

"But she played like a star," says volunteer Ian Bunton.

"Her aim wasn’t always accurate but she made up for that with determination and energy."

Ian teaches English at Westlake Boys High School and also works with young people who have disabilities.

Katrina was in a group of four he’s been helping to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary award.

Ian was with them during arduous weekend training sessions at Wenderholm Regional Park and then on Great Barrier Island.

"And their team spirit was inspirational," he says.

At Great Barrier Katrina completed the final component of the challenge to qualify for her award.

She’ll receive it from Prince Edward in Christchurch next month.

Katrina was two months old when she virtually lost her eyesight and developed epilepsy.

"It was medical misadventure during open-heart surgery," she says.

"My optic nerve was damaged by lack of oxygen to the brain."

Also in the group of four was Takapuna Grammar pupil Peter Mildreth whose co-ordination had been destroyed by autism.

In the past, even going up stairs could be terrifying and he did not dare go into water as deep as his waist.

Now, at 17, he is able to scale mini-mountains and this month, for the first time, he swam the length of a public swimming pool on his back – having already mastered breaststroke and freestyle.

David Ee has struggled against even greater disabilities. At four he was found to have dyspraxia, which stole his ability to speak and sabotaged his manual dexterity and sense of balance.

Then, at 14, he had the additional complication of also being diagnosed as autistic.

Now, at 18, he still stumbles to communicate but can chat on the telephone and he has won awards as a swimmer and a skier.

Mr Bunton has been a key mentor in their inspirational progress through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary award programme which they were assisted into by Auckland Challenge – an organisation catering for such youngsters.

"And Auckland Challenge does a fantastic job," says Ian.

David has now earned his gold award which will be presented by Prince Edward in Auckland next month.

Peter has achieved bronze and silver and is close to getting his gold.

Their weekend group also included Peter’s 18-year-old brother James who, like him, is a pupil at Takapuna Grammar School.

Ian is delighted by their "amazing progress" which has developed from them pushing themselves hard to complete the programme.

"Peter, for instance, finds it difficult to do things most of us take for granted – everyday things such as walking up stairs," he says.

"His co-ordination problems mean he has to concentrate on every move.

"Going up steps, for example, he puts one foot up and then the other next to it so that they’re there side by side.

"Yet here he was at Great Barrier reaching the summit of Mt Hobson – even climbing steps cut in the rock – and persevering for six and a half hours on a journey that takes most people about four hours.

"He’s developed the courage and confidence to push himself and is relishing his independence."

It’s the same with David.

At one time David could not walk in a straight line or stand on one foot.

Yet he followed his early successes in the award programme by winning gold medals at the 2007 national skiing championship organised by Special Olympics New Zealand – and was a nominee for the 2009 World Winter Games.

The benefits of having been tutored by Mr Bunton and others, he says, are like having "attended a university".

"They’ve taught me ways to make responsible decisions," he says.

"They’ve also taught me not to be afraid of difficult situations even if there is no obvious solution."

The group received a generous discount from Great Barrier Airlines who flew them to the island and operates out of the North Shore airfield near Silverdale.

"Being involved was a pleasure," says airline chief executive Gerard Rea.

"We enjoy being an integral part of life in our local community."