Amanzimtoti games raises awareness for people with disabilities

The inaugural Amanzimtoti Water Sweets Games, mixing able-bodied and differently abled people in sports events, have opened many eyes to the difficulties disabled people face.

According to Sapphire Coast Tourism chairperson Romy Wenzel, about a quarter of the participants in the games on Amanzimtoti’s main beach over the past two days, included people with disabilities.

Wenzel says altogether 60 people took part in games like one-arm golf and chair volleyball, which mimic the handicaps disabled people live with.

She says the games were a good start in the journey towards making Amanzimtoti the place to be for universal access for the disabled.

“We had a lot of people who wanted to try and they seem to realise that indeed it’s not so easy if you cannot walk, if you cannot see or whatever other disability it may be. So, I really do believe that it has given everybody a thought to be more aware of people who are struggling in our surroundings and to engage with them and to make their lives are easier and to incorporate them into your own lives.”

Thanks to the games, Storm Schwartz from Amanzimtoti had his first opportunity to fish again since he lost his sight 16 years ago.

Winning the prize for catching the most fish, Schwartz describes the thrill he experienced,

“The fish would try and run away so the rod would make like a greeee noise and then I knew I had something. Or the rod you would feel the rod get very heavy. So then I would assume that there was something on. And then I would listen to the sighted guys around me, they were very helpful.”

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