For two years, Maya Dove has been playing basketball in a loaned wheelchair.
A recent growth spurt has meant the chair is no longer comfortable or a suitable fit for the 15-year-old, who has been identified as a potential future basketball champion by the Victorian Women’s Basketball Association.
But playing basketball is about to get a lot more comfortable for the Kinglake resident and Marymede Catholic College student.
Last Thursday, Foundation 97, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of Victorians with spinal cord injuries by providing them with equipment that allows them to play sport or maintain better employment, gave Maya a wheelchair designed for basketball.
It was handed over by Foundation 97 managing director Noel Clarke in front of a packed school assembly.
“Specialised, modified equipment for someone with a disability to participate in activity regularly is very expensive,” he said. “Foundation 97 was developed to assist people like Maya to reach their full potential.”
Maya has lived with a spinal cord injury since birth. She said it was her Royal Melbourne Hospital occupational therapist, Erin Garner, who encouraged her to apply for a new chair.
“It will make a huge difference when playing because it has been specifically designed to provide more support when I’m on the court and improve my overall game,” she said.
“It provides more support, particularly back support, and has been custom-designed for my shape and build so it’s the perfect fit.”
The year 10 student recently competed for the Kevin Coombs Cup, a week-long annual national basketball tournament held in Ballarat for Australia’s best junior wheelchair basketballers.
… Lexi Cottee
