Meet Katie, our Superhero Tri Superstar
"She absolutely loves going to Rose Road and always arrives with a huge smile on her face." Read mum Karen's story about how Rose Road has helped her family and why they're taking on the Superhero Triathlon this year.
Karen explains:
Katie is 20 years old and is a very sociable young lady who is always smiling and laughing. Everyone knows Katie for her keys that she loves to hold and always has with her. She is happiest in the company of others and enjoys watching the world around her.
Katie also has significant learning disabilities and requires support with all aspects of her daily life.
As such, keeping Katie occupied at home can be challenging because she does not engage with many activities. As a result, she can become bored and frustrated, which sometimes leads to challenging behaviours.
Which is why having access to Rose Road is invaluable to our family.
At Rose Road, Katie can enjoy a wide variety of activities each day, with regular opportunities to spend time out of her wheelchair to explore her environment and make choices with a greater sense of freedom. Katie’s favourite activity is swimming, which can be difficult for me to manage by myself, so it’s wonderful that she has the opportunity to swim with Rose Road.
As a parent, it is incredibly reassuring to know that the staff at Rose Road have taken the time to build a strong relationship with Katie
Her time at Rose Road gives our family much-needed respite too. When Katie first started attending Rose Road’s playschemes and Saturday clubs at 12 years old, it gave me the chance to spend valuable one-to-one time with her sister, Emma.
After leaving school, Katie began attending Rose Road’s Outreach and The Hut day service, which helps her to access so much more the community with her peers, and enjoy activities such as cycling, bowling, farm visits and, of course, her favourite pastime—people watching.
She absolutely loves going to Rose Road and always arrives with a huge smile on her face. Knowing that I am leaving her somewhere she is not only safe but genuinely happy is an enormous comfort. Katie thrives on being around others, making Rose Road the perfect environment for her.
Now, Katie and her family are taking on the Superhero Series Triathlon
This August, Katie is going to show the world just what she's made of by taking part in the Superhero Tri, the UK's only fully accessible triathlon sporting event for people with disabilities, alongside their family 'sidekicks', in order to raise funds for the charity she and her family get so much from.
Karen continues:
"As a family, we are incredibly grateful for everything Rose Road has done for Katie. The care, understanding and opportunities they provide have made a huge difference to her life and to ours. Seeing Katie so happy, confident and excited to attend each week means so much to us.
Taking part in this event will be exciting for Katie and a chance for us to give something back".
Support Team Cousins
Donate to support Katie's fundraising journey and help raise funds that will enable more disabled children and young adults to enjoy adventures of their own with Rose Road that promote joy, friendship, independence and achievement!
With a huge thanks also to Team Cousins sponsor, Questmap, who help to cover the costs of the team entry and equipment and ensure the family's fundraising goes directly to support disabled young people.