2018 scholarship stories
ACT
Nerida – Travel
Nerida’s dream is to get away on a cruise with her partner, best friend and carer, Norm. This will be their first holiday together in the fourteen years of their relationship. → Show more.
Nerida is a resilient and strong person who has stayed positive in the face of several relapses over the years since her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. However, her most recent relapse earlier this year meant a treasured holiday plan had to be abandoned. Nerida’s dream to go on a cruise is a different kind of holiday, adjusted to her current situation.
This Go for Gold Scholarship will make Nerida’s dream a reality, something to look forward to, to have a break with Norm and to change her outlook on life.
Jo – Employment
Jo is passionate about disability rights and travel. Her dream is to set up a travel company that specialises in providing services to people with a disability or other chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis. → Show more.
Achieving her dream will help Jo to regain the self-confidence and security she has lost due to her multiple sclerosis symptoms. She hopes the company will in turn help others, by helping make their travel dreams come true. She will also work to raise awareness of MS and other conditions as part of her business.
Receiving this Go for Gold Scholarship will help Jo with the administrative start-up costs so that she can get her travel company up and running.
This is the beginning of an exciting road for Jo as she looks to the future and helps to fill the gap in information and services available to people with a disability or special needs who wish to travel.
NSW
Ameera – Sport
Ameera is an international para-archer, and her dream is to represent Australia in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo and hopefully the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. → Show more.
Since receiving her Go For Gold scholarship, Ameera has been able to purchase a new bow so that she can compete at a higher level and increase her performance.
Ameera’s personal best sat at 507 out of 720 points before she received her scholarship. She’s since seen an improvement of over 100 points after purchasing her new bow!
At the start of 2019, Ameera placed first in three heats at the Australian Paranationals. She hit gold in indoor archery (18 metres), outdoor archery (50 metres) and in outdoor matchplay. Ameera came second in the outdoor heat at the Warringah Open in February and made it to the quarter finals at the NSW Grand Prix that same month.
Ameera wants to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis with her international reach as an athlete .
Deb – Employment
Before Deb was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she was at a point in her career where things were falling into place. Working as a bank manager, she was reaching the goals she had set for herself and future opportunities were on the horizon. But as she began to experience symptoms of brain fog, fatigue and vertigo as a result of her multiple sclerosis, it seemed that the job she had worked so hard for was slipping away. → Show more.
It took some time for Deb to figure out what she wanted to do after the loss of her career, but when she did, she excelled. In 2017 Deb completed her Certificate IV in Design and was awarded several industry awards for her work. Now working on surface designs, Deb’s scholarship will help her to buy a Macbook Pro laptop so that she can use the correct programs for her work. Once Deb is set up, she plans to start her own design business so that she can begin to have a steady income again.
Felicity – Sport
Since Felicity found out that she might lose her ability to walk due to her multiple sclerosis, she decided that she didn’t want to take her mobility for granted. So, once she settled on a treatment that was working for her, she started running.→ Show more.
Setting her sights on the New York Marathon, Felicity started training hard, and found herself with a place in the race she was dreaming of. When she applied for her scholarship, Felicity said she was going to use the money she received to head over to New York for the marathon – and that’s just what she did. “I had the most amazing race, I was so strong all the way through,” Felicity said just one day after returning back from the US. “I am so grateful for my Go for Gold scholarship, it let me do something I never thought I could,” she said.
Karen - Employment
Karen really felt the effects of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and it changed all aspects of her life. She had to alter her career path, going from working as a full-time national account manager for a health and beauty company, to retraining as a nutritionist. → Show more.
While Karen was training to be a nutritionist, she fell pregnant. It was an exciting time, but after the birth of her child she experienced a severe relapse. On top of that stress, Karen’s marriage broke down and she found herself at odds with what to do.
Karen’s scholarship is going towards her small business as a nutritionist. She plans to run tailor made workshops for her clients about eating well and feeling better, something which she is passionate about. The scholarship will also help Karen cement her business which gives her a sense of pride and achievement, an income, and something that she can show her child is possible to do despite the hurdles she’s experienced.
Katrina – The Arts
Katrina was working as an illustrator when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she soon found herself having to minimise the amount of work she was producing due to the impact multiple sclerosis began to have on her day to day life. Katrina experiences significant symptoms in her right arm, which greatly affects her ability to make original artwork at a rate that could support her financially. → Show more.
Katrina’s scholarship is going to go towards making professional prints of her work so that she can start selling illustrations and become a working artist once again.
For Katrina, this is important in terms of income, but it is also vital to her dream to regain her sense of identity, purpose and passion.
Stephen - Lifestyle and wellbeing
Stephen has a zest for life and new experiences but fatigue and cognitive issues stemming from his multiple sclerosis has meant that he can’t always clearly remember the finer details of what he’s done or where he’s been. → Show more.
Wanting to be able to document his experiences and where he has been so that he can remember his trips and experiences, Stephen starting filming what he was doing. From there he found a passion for videography.
Wanting to be able to edit his videos to share on YouTube, Stephen’s scholarship is going towards a new computer with proper video editing software.
Stephen’s aim is to be able to inspire other people living with a disability to continue travelling, enjoying life and finding things that they love to do. ”
Kathryn – Lifestyle and wellbeing
Kathryn’s dream is to bring nature into people’s lives, especially through food, writing and illustrating children’s books, and photo books. → Show more.
When she was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Kathryn suddenly found herself unable to do much, and she began to experience symptoms of depression. Having previously spent much of her time outside with nature, it was a difficult transition for Kathryn to make.
One morning, Kathryn decided that she needed to do something to help herself feel better, so she set herself a project. She would take one photo every day of water. Sometimes it was the creek at the end of the street, and sometimes it was her bathtub.
Five years later, Kathryn still takes at least one photo a day (sometimes more), and it has morphed into a passion. With her scholarship, Kathryn will be able to purchase a professional camera (instead of using her phone) and attend a writing course so that she can see her photography and writing come to life on paper.
TAS
Nichole – Lifestyle and wellbeing
Nichole was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago. She was able to mostly continue living life to the full after her diagnosis, until August 2012 when she suffered a major relapse which changed her life forever.→ Show more.
After this major relapse Nichole took up cooking and then gardening as hobbies to ground her in the present. Graham (Nichole’s husband) also took up cooking and gardening and these new hobbies filled their hearts with joy. Nichole and Graham moved to the cooler climate of Tasmania in 2015 and dream of having a garden where they can grow produce to cook with and to share with others.
Their dream includes growing vegetables, planting a small orchard and building a hothouse from recycled materials – The Happy Shack. They have made a start on The Happy Shack and garden plans with help from family, but things had to be put on hold to make much needed mobility modifications to their home.
This Go for Gold Scholarship will enable Nichole and Graham to finish the work they have started and realise their dream. The Happy Shack is a long-held dream for Nichole and she sees it as a light in the dark on her journey, something that will provide her with a meaningful daily quality of life. She is looking forward to being able to share fresh, organic, “grown with love” produce with family and friends, and perhaps even grow enough to share with the local community if everything grows well.
VIC
Alex – Sport
Since swimming 25kms in just 12 hours at the MS 24 Hour Mega Swim, Alex set her sights on something larger. Swimming the English Channel in 2020. This Go for Gold scholarship will assist with the cost of Alex’s training – which includes unlimited support, a swim training program, swim schools and learning about the English Channel. → Show more.
Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, swimming is one of the only sports that Alex can practice, so she is turning her sport into a passion. Alex wants her children and grandchildren to one day say – “my mother/grandmother was the first female with multiple sclerosis to swim the English Channel”– and they will be proud and go on to achieve amazing things themselves.
Ange – Travel
Ange’s dream is to build further understanding and knowledge of her indigenous family history and culture. → Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will provide an opportunity for Ange and her daughter to travel and record an oral history of her aboriginal relatives. It is important for her to do this now, as many of her relatives are in their 70s and 80s, and once this generation passes there will be no possibility of recording an oral history.
Ange says, “it is extremely important to me to transcribe the oral history of my family in order to preserve it for my daughter and future generations”.
Antonija - Travel
Antonija’s dream is to take her two girls (aged eight and ten) to see the Great Barrier Reef before it becomes something that humans can no longer access. She also knows that her own mobility is decreasing, and she wants to take her daughters before she is unable to travel.→ Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will help pay for their flights and accommodation, for a holiday where Antonija can show her girls that there is beauty in the world. She wants her children to know that if you have obstacles in your life like multiple sclerosis, you can choose to go around or over, it may be hard, but still worth the beauty of being alive.
Belinda – Travel
Belinda has had a love affair with Britain ever since she can remember. Her ambition since she was around 18 years old has been to do a literary tour of the UK, visiting the locations written about by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and so on. → Show more.
She will also be able to see her daughter who lives and works in London, visit ancestral family areas and have the opportunity to meet some friends with multiple sclerosis who she has not met face to face yet.
This Go for Gold scholarship will go towards Belinda’s travel costs, allowing her to tick her number one wish off her bucket list! ”
Debbie – Employment
Debbie’s dream is to set up a home business selling personalised paper crafts, such as wedding invites, decorations and memory card games. A home business will enable Debbie to match her work time to how her body and brain are feeling, in an environment that suits her day or night, and to work around the many appointments she attends.→ Show more.
Debbie will use her Go for Gold scholarship to purchase the equipment she needs to set up her business at home. For Debbie the process of creating provides an escape from the reality of living with multiple sclerosis. This scholarship gives Debbie hope and choices for the future.
Demi-Lee – The Arts
Demi-Lee’s dream is to set up an art room at home, somewhere for her to make art and to have a place where she wants to spend time after she gets out of bed in the morning. → Show more.
Over time Demi-Lee aims to build up enough confidence to join some local art classes, where she can meet new people and become a part of her community.
This Go for Gold scholarship will go towards the purchase of art supplies and storage for Demi-Lee’s art room. Demi-Lee says, “art puts me in space where I don’t have any disabilities.””
Jacinta – Travel
Jacinta’s dream is to go on a family holiday to reconnect with her partner Rick and her three daughters, Kathleen, Mitzi and Bronte. She is planning a cruise to help them all feel refreshed and relaxed, it will be an escape from their day to day where they do not have to worry about anything apart from what they want to eat for dinner.→ Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will enable Jacinta to go on a cruise with her family and have a big holiday together like family’s should. Jacinta wants to take her family on this holiday as a thank you to them all for always being there for her.
Jarret – Sport
Ever since Jarret was a child he has loved the idea of floating. Recently he decided to take the leap and try a new floating sensation – he stepped up to go skydiving, which has changed his perspective in an amazing new way. → Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will pay for Jarret’s training to become a certified skydiver. Being certified means he will be able to skydive without an instructor anywhere in the world.
Skydiving has convinced Jarret to tackle his fear of relinquishing control. It is his hope that by tackling this fear and by accepting the newfound joy of skydiving, he can bring a new skillset and source of excitement into his life.
Joanne – Education
Joanne’s dream is to complete her academic journey, by finishing her doctorate of Philosophy in Arts at Melbourne University. → Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will go towards the purchase of the equipment Joanne needs to complete her studies, such as a laptop, printer and camera.
Achieving her dream will make a huge difference to Joanne, she can finally finish what she started. Joanne says it will also “…make a difference to my beautiful daughter Madison. She is just 9 years old and I want her to know that anything is possible, despite having a disability.”
Kat – Education
Kat’s dream is to change the direction of her line or work and become a career’s counsellor. → Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will cover Kat’s course fees for a Certificate IV in Career Development, which is the first step in her achieving this dream.
Working as a career’s counsellor will make a big difference in Kat’s life. It is a job that will not exacerbate her physical multiple sclerosis symptoms and will be work that she can enjoy and feel proud of. There will be opportunities for lifelong learning, improved cognitive abilities and better earning potential. Kat also hopes to have a positive impact on others, as she helps clients with their own career paths.
Kim – The Arts
Kim’s dream is to be a visual arts artist, which has been a dream of hers since childhood. Events that happened in her life prevented her from following this dream initially, until she took up art again through the MS day support arts program.→ Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will be used by Kim to do further art courses at TAFE and to purchase art supplies, as she gets herself set up online to sell her art to a wider audience.
Having a creative outlet makes Kim feel happy and confident, something which makes an immediate difference to her life, as well as to her son and her close family.
Liz - Travel
Liz’s dream is to travel to Hawaii with her nine-year-old son. A holiday to their dream destination will be something for them to look forward to so that they can unwind and de-stress from their lives and enjoy being together in nature.→ Show more.
The trip will also be a way for Liz to show her gratitude to her son for keeping her going in life and for being a pillar of support for her. This Go for Gold scholarship will go towards flights and accommodation for Liz’s trip to Hawaii with her son.
Liz envisions them spending time together in a serene tropical oasis, an escape from the hard times they have endured with her multiple sclerosis.
Mel – Lifestyle and wellbeing
Mel’s dream is to achieve a balance in her life, between work, rest and play. She has achieved balance at work in the last year, but rest and play are a work in progress.→ Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will enable Mel to purchase two products that will assist her to live a more balanced life – an automatic robotic vacuum cleaner and a current model smartphone with the capacity for her to complete tasks like online shopping easily.
Having these two products will mean that Mel can spend less time on household tasks, which will have a positive impact on her fatigue levels. Then Mel will have more energy to devote to other important things in her life, such as spending more time with family and friends, and her beloved pets.
Monique - Travel
Monique’s parents were Holocaust survivors who came to Australia to make a new life for themselves after the war. Her dream is to travel to Bialystok in Poland and Ploesti in Romania to see where her parents were born and spent their childhoods, and to visit the memorials to people who lost their lives during the holocaust.→ Show more.
This Go for Gold scholarship will go towards Monique’s flights for her trip.
Monique’s trip to her parent’s homeland will be a lifechanging experience, a chance to get away from the mundane routine of her life. It will be a way for her to honour her parents and to remember her extended family members who lost their lives during The Holocaust.
Tamsin – Travel
Tamsin’s dream is to return to New Zealand, which is her and her husband’s country of birth, for a holiday with her husband and children. Her multiple sclerosis is progressing at such a rate that she needs to go now, while she still can. → Show more.
Tamsin’s Go for Gold scholarship will go towards the family’s flights to New Zealand.
A final visit back to New Zealand will be monumental in Tamsin’s life, her husband’s life and especially in her children’s lives, an opportunity for them to reconnect with their heritage and to make long lasting connections with their family there.