There’s nothing like working up a sweat with the salty smell of iconic Bondi Beach in your nostrils.
And then you actually get down on the sand, which might not seem all that special but if you’re a wheelchair user then it can bring a tear to your eye.
Sarah Stewart is a member of the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team, the ‘Gliders’ and she had given up going to the beach because of the inaccessibility of sand and her chair.
But after an ‘All Abilities’ workout at Bondi Beach F45 Gym, where competitors from the Invictus Games, current Paralympians like Stewart, other gym goers with a disability, worked out side by side with local community members and able-bodied fitness fanatics, they all headed to the beach.
Another organisation ‘Outback Academy Australia’ teamed up with F45 gym to decorate the famous Bondi Beach sand with the ‘Invictus Games Sydney 2018’ flags.
The Games for the world’s wounded warriors run from October 20-27 and showcase how sport can bring people together and empower them to overcome physical and mental injury or illness.
Accessible beach matting was provided by Push Mobility and with the help of Waverley Council and the Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, the beach became an inclusive place for people with and without disabilities to enjoy.
It was a way to celebrate inclusiveness and mateship as well as welcome the 500 visiting competitors from 18 nations for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018.