#YourStory – Empowering the community
He realised that he had one of two choices; either staying inactive and "feeling sorry" for himself, or making the most of what life had to offer him.
Jeff Yates is an Edenvale resident and the founder of the registered non-profit organisation, Adaptive Sports Fund (ASF).
The group was established in 2015 to help disabled people to remain active in sports.
The objective of the ASF is to raise money to enable the purchase of the required adaptive sports and recreational equipment that is needed for people whose mobility is impaired, but who wish to partake in sports. By partaking in sports, the ASF hopes to improve the lives of disabled individuals by helping them regain physical strength, fitness, improve their mental and emotional state as well as boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Jeff lost his mobility in a car accident, when he broke his neck (the C7 vertebrae), resulting in him losing mobility from the chest down and becoming a quadriplegic.
Jeff knows from personal experience the emotions disabled individuals go through during rehabilitation, however he no longer sees himself as disabled but rather as differently-abled.
He realised that he had one of two choices; either staying inactive and “feeling sorry” for himself, or making the most of what life had to offer him.
By starting this foundation, Jeff hopes to inspire other people to keep trying and to not give up on life.
“You may have a disability but there’s lots life has to offer,” he said.
Jeff started his road to activity by starting hand cycling in a reclined bicycle and pedalling with his hands. He said he felt free when doing this and not confined to his wheelchair.
Jeff is now on a “quest to bring extreme wheelchair sports to South Africa”.
Currently, the ASF is doing this in Gauteng, but Jeff hopes to soon have this available across the country.
“I’m using sports as a platform to enrich, encourage, motivate and build an individual’s confidence and self-belief.”
The ASF has launched multiple adaptive sports, which include adaptive golf, wake-boarding, gliding, snow skiing and others. They hope to establish others such as adaptive paragliding, kayaking, surfing and many more by the end of 2016 and 2017. Their slogan is “no limits just life”.
Jeff hopes to be able, through the ASF, to provide sport grants to individuals, provide adaptive sporting equipment, purchase prosthetics for aspiring athletes and to create positive awareness for people less fortunate and disabled on social networks.
On June 15 the ASF will be hosting a golf day, where disabled individuals will be able to use a stand up golf chair as a charity fundraiser for themselves.
For more information, Jeff can be contacted at Jeff@adaptivesportsfund.org
