Fruitbowl - Fresh Ideas from Hawke's Bay

Michelle Taylor, a 16 year old Taradale High School student, has qualified for the Australian Paralympic Youth Games next month.

Michelle's disablity is called Perthes. She was diagonised with Perthes 7 years ago. It is a disease that develops because the ball shaped end of the thigh bone has had its blood supply disturbed causing the bone to become soft and brittle. Most people diagonised with Perthes grow out of it, but Michelle has not. She has undergone several operations to no avail and has one leg significantly shorter than the other and also has frequent pain to bear.

Not that anyone would be aware of these things because Michelle is not going to let something like pain and disability keep her from achieving her goals.

She has three part-time jobs (2 paper runs and teaches at the her swimming club, Greendale) plus practices 8 times a week. The weekend just gone saw Michelle compete at the able-bodied Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay Winter Champs held at Swim Heretaunga, Flaxmere where nine clubs from the North Island turned out.

Michelle competed in 7 races, made the finals in every race and set 7 personal best times!

In less than 4 weeks Michelle is off to Melbourne to take part in her hardest competition yet. Whichever way the results go, Michelle is a winner in my book. The tenacity and fortitude she has shown to get this far is nothing short of outstanding.

There is a lot of truth in the saying that it is not the hand you are dealt but how you play the hand that makes the difference.

We wish you all the best Michelle. Watch this space for an update on Michelle's progress in Melbourne.