SEDDON’S Jessica Gallagher has never been one to turn her back on a challenge.
Hurtling down the side of a mountain on her way to Australia’s first-ever Winter Paralympic Games medal, it mattered little that she had spent only 150 days on skis.
After her slalom success she crossed to track and field, nabbing fifth place in the long-jump and sixth in javelin at the recent Paralympic Games in London, despite suffering a serious knee injury in the lead-up.
Gallagher was diagnosed with Best’s Disease, a hereditary form of progressive macular dystrophy, while studying for her VCE.
Clinically blind with only 8 per cent of her vision, she left behind her beloved ball sports, like netball and basketball, and took quickly to individual sports such as skiing.
“Growing up I always played a lot of sport, but my sight deteriorated as a 17-year-old.
“But I love the opportunities I’ve been presented with. I’m now aiming to be in Russia in March 2014 for the next Winter Paralympics.”
The only thing that sparks up Gallagher as much as talking about her next sporting challenge is discussing her role as ambassador for Vision Australia’s Seeing Eye Dogs.
She says the Kensington-based organisation is performing a crucial role in helping blind and vision-impaired people retain their independence.
“You can’t drive, you can’t do all those things you take for granted. Seeing Eye dogs give people back that independence.”
Vision Australia’s Seeing Eye Dogs is the charity of choice for the Melbourne Cup Pin & Win campaign for the second year running.
Sales of the Melbourne Cup lapel pins will go towards the $6.5 million redevelopment of SEDA’s breeding and training facility in Kensington to enable a greater number of Seeing Eye Dogs to be bred and trained.
Pin & Win lapel pins are available to purchase until November 5 via visionaustralia.org.au
