Sport brings Jay out of his shell

Champing at the bit to take on Australia’s best basketball teams at the Special Olympic National Games in Adelaide, Jay is brimming with a confidence fuelled by his desire to score “lots of goals”.

From Bracken Ridge in Brisbane’s north Jay is a very proud member of Queensland’s ‘C’ Grade Men’s team.

“I like playing with my team, they’re my friends, and wearing my red and blue uniform,” said Jay.

They will be competing for the honour of representing Australia at the Special Olympics Summer World Games in Athens in 2011.

The best part is that two of his mates from the Endeavour Foundation Industries Strathpine – Doug Hewison and John Griffiths – will be travelling with him to Adelaide to compete in their own sporting loves of ten-pin bowling and golf.

Mum Sue said she and her husband encouraged Jay to take up a sport as a child when some other areas of his life like school failed to offer the enjoyment, satisfaction and sense of self-worth essential for growing boys.

“Jay did not enjoy school at all,” said Sue.
“As he is very shy and introverted in nature he was targeted by the other students. But he would never hurt a fly.

“However, his love of sport and his good friends bought out his sense of humour and bright smile.”

While in Adelaide, Jay is looking forward to being with his family and “seeing the city”.

Throughout school, Jay enjoyed the opportunity to work at McDonalds’s, and a major turning point in his development was an enjoyable stint of work experience at Endeavour Foundation Industries Northgate.

He has been a supported employee at Endeavour ever since, now enjoying his work manufacturing industrial cloth four days a week at Strathpine.

Strathpine Training Development Officer Sebnem Bulan described Jay as a “gentleman” with a “fantastic sense of humour” and the ability to multi-task – quite rare in a male!

“Jay is very happy at Strathpine as all his friends are there and he can do his favourite job of cutting the rags” Sue said.

However, Jay still has enough energy to volunteer the other day each week at Northside Marine, whose staff enjoy his unbridled enthusiasm as he cleans boats and helps out around the office.

“Northside have offered to pay him but we prefer it to remain on a volunteer basis to allow Jay to have fun,” Sue said.

“But they often take Jay out on boats which he loves.”

Jay is also a very loving and popular uncle, to two-year-old Hannah, who Sue says loves playing with him and gets very excited when she knows she will be seeing him.

“They are great playmates. Jay loves his niece very much.”

Jay’s friendly nature and growing self-confidence has made him a regular caller to his favourite radio program, Jamie Dunn’s breakfast show.

Jamie enthusiastically welcomes Jay’s calls and even drove all the way out to Northside Marine in Boondall after the program to pay him a surprise visit.

It would be fair to say that Jay has come a long way in a short time. Who knows how much further the brilliant personality unleashed by his love of sport will take him.