From a life threatening horse accident to an inspiration in the disability sector: Rebecca Huismann

Rebecca, maybe if we first start with talking about your business, Vision Fitness and Support Services, what does the business do?

So Vision Fitness and Support Services is a local company in Chukamawamma and we provide NDIS supports to both children and adults.

Our company aim to support individuals to achieve their NDIS goals and we run programs Monday to Friday, skill building programs, where our staff members are actively supporting our participants to work towards their goals.

Right from supported employment to healthy cooking, fitness, yeah, community activities, all of the above.

Why did you think there was a need for such a business in the area you live in?

There's so many people that are living with disabilities and vulnerabilities that need support.

And I just felt like especially active support where we're actively involved in their lives, helping them achieve real life goals.

So yeah.

Did you feel like there were gaps in your particular area?

I did.

I felt like as a personal trainer, that's how I started off, specialising in training people with disabilities.

I felt like fitness was definitely overlooked with people with disabilities.

Obviously, there are support workers also doing what I'm doing, but definitely not as common as just the everyday support, hence why we're very fitness-based as well as the support work.

So you had a background as a personal trainer previously, which would have helped with that a lot.

Yes.

During COVID, I was doing support work for a residential home.

And during COVID, I had a bit of extra time on my hands, so I studied my Certificate 3 and 4 in Health and Fitness.

I was working at Snap Fitness at the time and had a goal in mind, which was to run an all-inclusive fitness class.

which obviously specialised in training people with disabilities.

So I started that up at the local gym and then it grew from there to then providing training sessions to people in my own home gym.

I mean, the gym scene is such a big thing in just about every town, but you don't really see that many people with disabilities being included in those activities.

Yeah, because obviously when you think of gym, you think big weights, deadlifting, you know, all that sort of stuff or running 5Ks.

But being in the gym and fitness can also just be moving your body using light weights or resistant bands or as simple as different active games or balancing beams.

And they're all the sorts of things we incorporate into our fitness session.

So it doesn't necessarily have to be the classic gym routine.