South Africa commemorates National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between November 3 and December 3.
December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is also commemorated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.
Beppie Summersgill, an Airfield resident, is a blind bowler who has no quit.
ALSO READ:
Blind bowlers raise awareness for disability
“I wasn’t born blind,” she explained.
“Since 1964, I was diagnosed with all sorts of diseases. When I lived in Rhodesia it took me eight hours to get to the nearest specialist where they diagnosed me with schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia,” she explained.
This is an infection caused by a parasitic worm that lives in fresh water in subtropical and tropical regions.
“My father then stopped us from fishing and being in the water. For years I wore glasses, I was squint and saw patches and no one could tell me what was wrong,” she added.
Beppie was then diagnosed with Cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), which is a group of inherited eye disorders that affect the light sensitive cells of the retina called the cones and rods.
People with this condition experience vision loss over time as the cones and rods deteriorate.
But none of this stopped Beppie from doing her sports and living life to the best of her ability.
She did a lot of swimming in school and has completed the Midmar every year, including 2020.
“I went on holiday with a friend, Suzanne Bartrum, and she said I had to play bowls. Then I met May Holmer and she also told me to take part in bowls. May plays bowls in the B8 category for the visually impaired.
“I didn’t need a second invite because I was already keen to play, so in 2011 I joined the world of bowls,” explained Beppie.
It took Beppie a lot longer to learn the game because she is self-taught, but she had plenty assistance from her friends.
“They would tell me do this, do that, put your leg here – it was very difficult in the beginning.
“I could sort of see but most times I couldn’t see the player’s feet in front of me and the sound and noises caused many distractions.
“Within a year though I was entered into nationals with my team, but it was dismal. I wasn’t ready to play but the experience helped,” she explained.
Blind sport classifies people into categories depending on their disability, in order for them to be most comfortable in their sport when playing and depending on the seriousness of their disability.
Classification involves categories B1 to B8.
“B1 to B4 is visual impairment and B5 to B8 is physical impairment, such as missing limbs,” explained Beppie.
“I play in the B2 category.”
The International Blind Sports Federation defines this classification as visual acuity ranging from 1.50 to 2.60 (inclusive) and/or visual field constricted to a diameter of less than 10 degrees.
Beppie wants to show Benoni that no matter what disability you have you can always play a sport and continue on with your life.
ALSO READ:
Raising a child with a learning disability
She feels that her support system and her faith have kept her going since day one.
“Cedric Summersgill, my director and partner, is my biggest support system. I am so blessed. He is the wind beneath my wings.
“Jean Martindale picks me up for our homemakers group at church and Alison van Rensburg also gives me lifts and getting me out and about. So thnak you so much to them for their efforts. I really am just so blessed to have so many helping and supporting me,” she said.
Beppie has racked up many achievements but three stand out for her.
• Ladies SA champ 2014 (Durban).
• 2016 Cedric became her director again after an injury and Beppie won the gold pairs with her bowls partner Kim.
• Invited to SA Invitational in Israel and received a silver for singles and a gold for pairs with Derek Carter, her bowls partner at the time.
Even though her disability impacted her life a great deal, Beppie always managed to stay positive and give everything she does all that she can.
“I have a little story I would like to tell,” she said.
“This is a story that I always live by and would like to share with any other disabled bodies out there.
“Two frogs fall into a bucket of milk. The first frog said to the second frog, ‘we are never going to get out of here’.
The second frog replied ‘just keep swimming’, but the first frog gave up and sank to the bottom.
“The second frog kept swimming, all through the day, until the milk became cream. He carried on swimming until the cream became butter and the next morning he was sitting on the butter eating flies before jumping out of the bucket and carrying on happily.
“Don’t ever give up! Just keep swimming,” is Beppie’s message.
Cedric added: “There are opportunities out there, just ask and don’t give up.”
For more information on visually impaired bowls contact Beppie on 073 005 4781.
