A LIXNAW man is encouraging the public to get behind Enable Ireland’s Life With No Limits Campaign this month.
Jer O’Connor from Lixnaw is one of Enable Ireland’s 2024 Life With No Limits Champions.
Jer attends Enable Ireland Adult Service in Tralee. At the age of 18, he was diagnosed with Friedrich’s ataxia (FRIDA), a genetic, progressive movement disorder.
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Since then he has embarked on some incredible physical adventures which have seen him soar through the sky (he’s jumped out of a plane – twice) and dive to great depths in the ocean, despite having had a life-long fear of water.
“When I was young, I was terrified of the water,” said Jer. “I remember going to Ballybunion Beach with my family. Even trying to dip my toes in the water gave me motion sickness.”
“After I was diagnosed, I spent a long time putting off certain things. However, I realised that my condition was getting worse and that my time was becoming limited to do the things I wanted to do in life.
I wanted to try and conquer my fears and not let anything hold me back. I told Conagh, my key worker at Enable Ireland services in Kerry, about my phobia of water.
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“She introduced me to Kerry Passion of Diving by taking me to one of their open days. They are a voluntary organisation that specialises in making scuba diving accessible to everyone. That’s when I decided I wanted to overcome my fear and achieve a diving certification.
My first day of training with Passion of Diving was at the Aqua Dome. I was so afraid. But the team there are amazing. They didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to.
“I was slowly introduced to the water and got familiar with the equipment. Passion of Diving were very methodical and good at slowly building your confidence. Now I trust them with my life. However, back then, my fear was getting the better of me.
But on the third day, something clicked in me. I realised that I was in no danger. I was surrounded by scuba diving instructors who would quickly pull me up if anything went wrong. I found that the fears which were limiting me were all in my head.
“It was so freeing to have conquered my fears and be able to dive. I don’t feel disabled when I am under the water. It’s like my disability fades away.
To achieve the practical part of my qualification, I was fortunate to take a trip to Egypt and go diving in the Red Sea. We went for a week and spent four days diving. 20 people of mixed abilities went from Passion of Diving and they are the some of the best people I’ve met in my life.”
It was a scary transition going from a still pool to the open sea where you can be thrown around by the waves. However, having my friends from Passion of Diving around me boosted my confidence.
I reminded myself of my training and I was able to push those fears aside. The diving was stunning. Being among the corals, the fish and the different sea life was beautiful.”
“I would love to get more people with a disability interested in scuba diving, simply for the freeing feeling it gives you. I’ve learnt it’s important to be open to new opportunities in life and to not let fears or self-doubts restrict you.
As well as scuba diving, I try to go skydiving at least once a year. There’s a great sense of exhilaration and freedom to do something where your disability is not a factor.
When the parachute opens you get to see the world from a different perspective. It’s made me realise how small my problems are. I’m very proud of myself for taking on these challenges.”
Enable Ireland’s ‘Life With No Limits’ campaign takes place during September each year.
It provides a platform for children and adults with disabilities who use Enable Ireland services to share their life experiences. The campaign also aims to raise much-needed funds to support the charity’s work.
Every year, Enable Ireland needs over €2 million in additional funding to meet the costs of delivering their services.
Support the ‘Enable Ireland Life With No Limits’ campaign this September by making a purchase in one of their charity shops or donating online at www.enableireland.ie.
The public can also support Enable Ireland by giving to volunteers collecting for the charity throughout the month.
Or drop a bag of quality pre-loved items into their local Enable Ireland shop or clothing bank or into any TK Maxx store nationwide as part of their Give Up Clothes For Good campaign.
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