Blazing a trail for disabled

Volunteer Task Force has more than 400 volunteers donating their time each week to improve the communities we live in.

At the VTF Shoalwater Depot there are many friendly and familiar faces helping out each week, and one of those faces is that of Madora Bay resident Matt Calkin.

Matt is something of a celebrity around the VTF offices — he has a trophy cabinet filled with medals from his time as an athlete in the Special Olympics.

The 33-year-old first began representing Australia at the Olympics in golf and won silver in Shanghai in 2007, then followed it up with gold in Athens in 2011.

After a while, Matt decided it was time for a change and took up a team sport.

He picked up softball after watching his father and uncle play baseball for many years, and ended up representing Australia in the Olympics again in Los Angeles last year, where he won a silver medal.

During his downtime when he is not busy training for upcoming sporting events, Matt spends his time with the VTF crews, working as a handyman around the house and in the garden, and offering support to those who are unable to do some tasks for themselves.

He helps VTF provide meaningful volunteering opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Volunteering makes me feel good and I enjoy talking with the elderly and disabled,” he said.

“I like spending time with all the work crews — they are really nice people and it’s fun to work outside.

“Everyone is a different age and it’s great to get to know all the people, and I have made lots of friends through VTF.

“We are all part of one big team.”

Matt has been volunteering with VTF since 2010, and was nominated for Volunteer of the Year at the National VTF awards in May.

He also won The Sports Person with a Disability award at the 2015 City of Mandurah Sports Awards.

VTF marketing adviser Sara Banks said volunteers like Matt were essential to what VTF was all about.

“Matt may not realise it, but he has had an important impact on clients through his volunteering,” she said.

“Many people come to us and say that seeing Matt as part of the VTF team has made them realise that people should not be defined or constrained by a disability.

“Without volunteers, we could not achieve the community contribution that we strive for and everyone is so valued.

“Our oldest volunteer is 85 and we have teenagers at 15 helping out as well.

“Matt is a trailblazer and we are extremely lucky to have him.”