Effort for gym participants

The Level 5 announcement by The Irish Government last week forced gyms across the country to close. Since gyms reopened in late May attendances soared because it was a good way of people getting out of the house. The gym I go to is Muscle & Mind Fitness and they have invested in a new refurbishment to improve their gym and follow government guidelines.  Now they have to close and it’s terrible that people can’t use their new equipment. The gym followed the protocols by getting all clients to sanitise hands on the way in and out plus wipe down equipment before and after using each machine.  The amount of Covid-19 cases in gyms is quiet low which is good.

When we went into our first lockdown in March clients missed the gym but they arranged home workouts by zoom.   As a gym participant myself I didn’t miss the gym that much earlier in the year because I was able to do my sessions over zoom which was great.  But a lot of people miss the social interaction and cannot get motivated for home sessions. With this lockdown and it being later in the year I think it will be more difficult. The shorter days will make it harder for people to get outdoor exercise.  I think people’s mental health will struggle because they will not be able to get their daily session in. I know Covid-19 is dangerous but we have to live with it by following the rules of hygiene protocols and distancing.

  Since restrictions from the first lockdown lifted I have increased my sessions in the gym because it keeps me busy during this difficult time. A gym is a good way of keeping going which is important. I disagree with the government closing gyms because for some people is an essential service and I think the Government could have upgraded gyms to essential services.   The Government should be supporting gyms with some kind of financial funds to make up for the money they will lose while been closed to make sure that they can open when restrictions lift. With second lockdown in place a lot of people are losing the will to workout because some people are saying what is the point when they don’t know when they can go back to a gym.

Looking after your physical health is important to keep your mind and body healthy. If you are a member of a gym It is important to ask your trainers for home workout routines or join in with their social media if they do a workout live. Zoom can be set up with the people you used to go the gym with and do it from your homes. If your gym is setting up a zoom for classes you can participate even with your camera off so that you do not have to talk which some people struggle with. I am finding it hard to accept that gyms are closed but I will keep moving with home workouts so my body will be fit when I return to the gym. It is very easy to get down or have a negative attitude during lockdown but you have to keep positive because if we all follow the guidelines the quicker we can get back to normality. Hope this helps in giving you the motivation to participate in a session at home.

Education

Throughout the last few years I have found a new dream. As a sports lover I thought there would be nothing better than reporting about sporting events. In 2018 I started to attend a ECDL course in National Council for the Blind (NCBI) which is located in Drumcondra to upskill my computer skills. Through participating in this course I feel that my typing skills have improved in the last year. I have started in recent times to blog about the sporting events that would be on each week. As I got more confident I have started to record my sporting picks and put them out on social media. The feedback I have got about them has been really good which is great. This has giving me a passion to write about sport in some sort of media.

Through doing this I have found a new passion I love to do this for a living. I have done work experience in a radio station Dublin South FM late last year to gain more confidence in talking out loud. This has done wonders for my communication skills and has helped with my videos on social media. After doing work experience I attended some radio training with Near FM which lasted 6 weeks. This gave me more of a insight in how media works. It also taught me what type of questions you have to ask when interviewing somebody. I enquired with a employment officer about doing a Journalism course. There was 1 that caught my eye and it was in Colaiste Dhulaigh College. I thought this course could be the one for me so I applied for this course.

Since then I have started posting blogs on Tumblr which is a blogging website. This has giving me more confidence to write blogs and post them online. I have gotten some great feedback from writing the blogs on Tumblr which is very encouraging. I am excited in starting this course as it’s a new start in my life. I no that this course is going to be tough because doing a journalism course is difficult enough without having a visual impairment. I love to challenge myself and I am prepared to complete this course. It is a bit more challenging to do this course with a visual impairment but is not impossible to do which is critical. I am looking forward to starting the course and keep looking out on my Tumblr account @irelandsblindgolfer to see what blogs that I will be putting up. I have really enjoyed writing blogs throughout the last while and I think this is something that I am good at. I am delighted to announce that I was accepted for the course. I am looking forward to starting this course and I am excited in starting new. It would be great if I could get more opportunities to write while I am participating in the course. It is one step closer to my dream and I am willing to put in the work. If I can do this course with a visual impairment there’s no reason why somebody else with a disability can’t do this course. It is very important to say never or can’t you can do everything just with a little bit of help

Home workouts How to: with a Visual Impairment

Having a visual impairment makes it tricky to do home workouts. However, that doesn’t make it impossible. It’s important to have a positive attitude when you have a visual impairment. This can help you to look after your mental health and improve wellbeing. Even when visually impaired, barriers can be broken down by making an attempt at things with a positive outlook.

Equipment:

It is important to check that you have lots of space before starting a workout at home. You don’t want to have a falling ironing board injury! After clearing the room for space, you will need to go and get your equipment i.e. a mat and weights. Starting off, it’s easier to stick to exercises that you know well. No point trying anything that you might not be ready for in the early stages. The usual suspects I always turn to are sit ups, squats and jogging on the spot. Equipment is not essential for any of these so no need to rush to the shops. You can find short videos of me doing these on my Facebook and Instagram pages @irelandsblindgolfer.

Most of the exercises that I do at home I have done before in the gym. During my personal training sessions with Darren, I get him to take videos. Then I use this at home to remember the correct technique of each exercise. This is something that works really well for me and could be useful for others too.

It’s helpful if you have an enjoyable routine to stick to. This also makes it easier to remember which comes in handy with visually impairment. If you’re looking to change up your routine it’s useful to do this in the gym for the first time before starting at home.  Another option is to get whoever you live with involved and have them demonstrate the exercise for you.  

Important things to remember:

When using weights make sure you have a tight grip. Try not to drop them out of your hands as this could cause injury. Also, if you have a punch bag make sure it doesn’t swing back and catch you in the face.

I really enjoy doing workouts at home, I started off with supervision from parents but now I’m doing them independently. This keeps me fit and active from one session to another and Darren gives me exercise tips to keep me going. These workouts have really helped my mental and physical health. So, if you’re visually impaired there’s no reason why you can’t start exercising at home too. It might take a bit longer but at the end of the day workouts can be adjusted for your level of ability.

Due to COVID-19 we are now in lockdown. Home workouts have become very popular as a result of this. I’m currently doing mine through Zoom with my personal trainer between 2 and 3 times a week.  Getting family and friends involved makes it even more enjoyable and helps keep them fit too. It can be another way of having lighthearted fun during this time.

Life during corona virus

The year started out so well I had so much on.  In January I went on a golf trip to Portugal. I had a great time at it and I was looking forward to many other trips this year including a trip to South Africa to take part in The World Blind Golf Championship. Besides playing my golf I started to attend park runs with a guide and I participated in a five mile race for Simon Community. I was travelling independently and attending a gym a couple of times a week. From the 13th March my life was turned upside down when Corona Virus came and I learned that some of these things couldn’t happen anymore. The outbreak of corona virus really damaged my mental health. Life is tough enough been visually impaired without having extra challenges. I was frustrated at the start of lockdown because I could not do many things that I enjoy. I had made massive strides travelling independly but all that was put on hold. At first I waited for this to pass but soon I realised that corona virus will be with us for a while. I kept myself motivated by doing home workouts with my personal trainer from the gym that I attend. I made sure that I got out of my house daily for walks and runs to keep my mind healthy. With golf courses closed I got creative and done many fun short golf game videos in my back garden which I loved. I also love to watch sport such as football and golf and these sports weren’t happening because of corona virus. Through my social media I did a lot of videos of picking my greatest players and sporting memories. With not been able to travel independently to the shops supermarkets delivered to my house which was great. I kept my independence skills up by doing a lot of cooking which I really enjoyed during lockdown. It was a difficult time for me with many of my favourite things not open but I adapted to do other things which kept me busy. The college and transition programme that I was attending did weekly zoom sessions which kept my learning and study up during lockdown.

 Just when things were starting to open back up. I was really unlucky because I had to go into hospital. I had to have my gallbladder removed and the rest period knocked me back. When I was recovering at home the weather was good and I was frustrated that I couldn’t play golf. Thankfully I had a speedy recovery and I have had no pain since which is great. My mental health is very good now because I’m back doing the things I love such as gym and golf. With live sport back on television (TV) it has been a great outlet in keeping me positive. I was annoyed that I couldn’t travel on foreign holidays but I have realised that your health is more important than anything else. Hopefully things will start going back normality soon but I don’t mind if we go into lockdown again because I have plenty of things to keep me going. It’s very easy to say I can’t or be negative but you have to adapt and more important keep positive by putting a smile on things. I hope this blog changes your mind set towards being negative while corona virus is around and helps people to be more positive and to make the most of everything.

My Friend, the Cane

This was Challenging

For a long time, I never used a cane because of stubbornness and thinking that I could get everywhere myself without  assistance or using a cane. I was also embarrassed about using one. As a young man, it’s not always considered very trendy to carry a cane. When in public, if you bang into someone, the person can lash out because they don’t know that you have a visual impairment. I noticed, that this was starting to happen to me more regularly which was not appropriate.

Why I started using a cane?

Using the cane helps others to recognise I have some kind of visual impairment and there not so harsh if I bump into them by mistake. When my vision started to decrease, I took the brave step of looking into getting a cane. This took a lot of courage. I trailed using a cane with the assistance of the National Council of the Blind Ireland (NCBI). The Orientation & Mobility Officer at the NCBI was a huge help in progressing my independent use of the cane. I started lightly within the NCBI buildings and as my confidence grew I advanced to using the cane within the local community.

While trialling it out I felt great using it because I stopped banging into people and obstacles on the street. It took a bit of convincing but I decided if it prevents the risk of injury then why not try it out. Using it has done a lot for my confidence and social skills.

 Positives of using a cane.

Through attending the NCBI, I have availed of a course which focuses on orientation and mobility. It has taken a lot of practice in using the cane to ensure that my technique is correct. In public, if you sweep the cane too big you could possibly trip somebody up. This is why having the right technique is important. Still to this day, technique is something I continuously practice, it’s ongoing and I’m improving all the time. In the last 12 months, my independence skills have improved massively.

 Tips for using the cane

I use the long cane anywhere that I go. When I am going somewhere new for the first time I plan out each part of my travel route. This ensures that I get there safely. I usually do some trial runs on public transport before I visit the new place. This has worked well for me is something I would recommend to others with a visual impairment.

 If you are someone with a visual impairment and haven’t yet trailed using a cane, I would strongly recommend that you give it a go. By getting a cane, it will lessen the risk of injury to yourself and is likely to do wonders for your social skills.  For me, the cane is an essential item now when travelling somewhere. I think of it like my phone, I don’t go anywhere without it.

Order of MeritIrish Blind Golf members take part in a yearly competition called the Order of Merit. The competition is based over the 9 outings that we play throughout the year. Everyone plays off a handicap at each monthly outing. Scores are calculated by accumulating points at each hole which is called stableford,For example, if you have 5 strokes on a par 4 this would be a bogey, which would be 2 points on this hole, in total you would finish with 36 points. Your overall score is calculated based on the amount of outings that you attend in the year. Each golfers best four scores are added together to make their total, for example, a golfer with 4 rounds of 32 points would total 128. The golfer with the highest score at the end of the year wins the Order of Merit and takes home a trophy. Irish Blind Golf host a presentation at our last outing of the year after the round of golf is finished. In 2019, coming towards the last outing, the scores were tight between myself and my opponent William. We played together at our last outing which was at Royal Dublin Golf Club. I played an average game on the day and it got a bit nerve-racking at points as my opponent was playing well. Thankfully his last few shots didn’t build his score enough so I held on to win it. I was delighted to win this trophy. It says you’re the best blind golfer in Ireland for that year. This was a fantastic achievement for me. Winning the Order of Merit guarantees a place at the World Blind championships. I am due to participate in this competition early next year as it was postponed for 2020 due to COVID-19. I will be delighted to represent my country when the time comes around. It will be my third World Blind Championship to participate in. It will be great to say that I have played in three World Blind Championships which would be a great achievement

Irish Independent article

Ed Maguire, a member of Irish Blind Golf came up with the idea of putting details about our organisation in the national newspapers. In 2016, Ed enquired about publishing our outing results in the paper. He got in touch with the Irish Independent. The Irish Independent have a weekly pull out on golf. At the time, their editor wanted more of an insight into how blind golf worked. He wanted to make sure that he had the correct information before he published anything about Irish Blind Golf. He arranged a visit to South Meath Golf Club, where ED is a member. They agreed to let Irish Blind Golf use their facilities for the occasion.

South Meath closed their course for a few hours so we could do an interview and record a few action shots on the course. When the interview happened, Irish Blind Golf were on a high due to the good finish that I had had in the States earlier this year. I had recently come second in the U.S. Blind Open.  

On the day of the South Meath event, myself and my dad travelled down to the golf course together. We meet 2 other golfers along with their guides from Irish Blind Golf. Ed, Carol and I were the only 3 members from Irish Blind Golf participating in the event. We did an interview on the practice putting green which lasted 15 minutes. We explained the challenges and difficulties involved in navigating your round a golf course with a visual impairment.

After the interview, we were recorded taking golf shots showing how a guide sets each visually impaired person up. It was important to show how blind golf can be a 2 man game when relying on a guide to set a player up. I was first recorded teeing off on a hole which was a par 3. Funnily enough,  my first shot very nearly went in the hole. Ed was also recorded taking a shot with his guide, Jim, setting him up. Carol was then recorded taking a shot with set up from her guide, Theresa. When the filming was over, I got to play a round of golf which I really enjoyed. There has to be golf involved to get me there!!!

The piece that was published was very good and I enjoyed it immensely. It helped raise awareness around Irish Blind Golf plus it gave more people an insight into how blind golf works. Participating in things like this have really improved my communication and public speaking skills. It has also given me more confidence to talk in public as well as in front of a group.

I would have no problem doing interviews like this in the future. These events are a great way of recruiting new members and putting Irish Blind Golf on the map.

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RTE Interview

In 2016, I was interviewed by Paul O’ Flynn, RTE’s sports correspondent. He was very interested in learning about how blind golf works. The interview was broadcast on RTE’s Six One News that week. I was delighted to take part and share my knowledge  and experience of blind golf. The interview took place out on the course at Elmgreen Golf Club. I was so proud to have the opportunity to do this interview.

Prior to this, I played in the US Blind Golf Open. It was my first time to play away from home. My first ever to compete in an International Blind Golf tournament representing Irish Blind Golf. This was a brilliant experience for me and I really enjoyed my time in the States. The event took place at the Haven Golf Club, Arizona and was organised by U.S. Blind Golf. This was a 3-day event, a practice round and 2 strokeplay rounds. I never played the course before making this unfamiliar territory and an added challenge.

I was so excited on the morning of the 1st round because it was a big competition for me. Breakfast wasn’t enjoyed in the usual manner due to the nerves. We made our way to the golf course which was a short stroll away from the hotel. I started my warm up with a bit of chipping and putting to loosen the muscles. Some bunker practice followed before moving onto my irons. I finished my warm up by hitting a few drivers. When I came to hit my driver, I got a massive shock, on my 2nd drive the shaft snapped. The head of my driver flew out onto the range. Panic started to set in as it was less than twenty minutes to my tee time. My dad, Pat, who guides for me rushed to the pro shop. Pat to the rescue!!!

I played a successful round in the end. I shot a 95 Gross which was good for my handicap. I was lying in the top five after day one. On my second day, the pro shop secured another shaft for my driver and I was delighted to use my own driver in the second round. This helped me massively in shooting a 90 Gross, a better score than the previous day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as I lost out by 3 shots. I finished second overall and was delighted with that as my goal was to finish inside the top ten.

When we arrived back at Dublin Airport. Family and friends along with some journalists who published articles about the event greeted us. This is where Paul learned about what I do.

Paul was brilliant with his time when he met with me at Elmgreen. He filmed us taking putts and playing the first hole. A huge part of this was to explain how a guide sets a visually impaired person up to hit the ball. Paul was impressed with how I hit the ball. Elmgreen were also great, as they made sure it all went smoothly and had the course in pristine condition. During the interview, I talked about how the US Blind Golf Open had gone and how much I love the game. We also discussed upcoming tournaments for the year.