A coach for the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has been recognised for her service of 30 years.
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RDA Coach Isabel Wallace received the award for her service with the volunteer organisation which helps children with a disability benefit from horse riding.
She said she was surprised and grateful for the award.
“It was a big surprise because I tend to avoid, usually if the photographer comes out, I hide behind horses. So it’s great and thank you so much,” Ms Wallace said.
Former RDA president Helena Patriarca presented the award to Ms Wallace and said she had been a “dedicated and loyal volunteer”.
“She’s been with RDA for 36 years and I just came on board in 2010 and became president and Isabel was a guiding light. She’s an excellent coach. Without Isabel it wouldn’t have survived,” Ms Patriarca said.
Ms Wallace recalled one experience had made the 30 years worth it.
“We had one child who was presented to us as being non-verbal, and we have a stop-go game and we suddenly heard him say “stop-go” and we give credit to the horse,” Ms Wallace said.
“The last day of that year I walked past the school bus as he was getting on the bus and he turned ‘round and said, ‘see you Isabel,”
“That was the thing that made the 30 years worthwhile.”
The organisation work with children from local primary schools with a range of physical and intellectual disabilities once.
“The kiddies would start when they were in Kindy and you’d be with the same children until they went to high school, you could see the progress, it was really good,” Ms Wallace said.
She said over the years she has had to alter her approach to coaching to keep up with changing demands.
“Nearly all the children now have various types of autism. We’ve only had just two with physical disabilities.
“So i’ve had to alter what I do, you alter what you do, we play games and do exercises, so the autistic children like structure and you introduce new things really slowly with them.
Ms Wallace said over her 30 years as a coach she had only missed six days of helping children with special needs benefit from horse therapy.
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