6 Accessible Extreme Sports in Australia
There are many accessible sports available for people living with a disability to enjoy, including golf, lawn bowls, AFL, rugby and netball just to name a few! While these sports can be fun and healthy activities to incorporate into your exercise routine – if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, they might seem a little tame.
If you have a need-for-speed or just want to try something a bit more exciting take a look at these six accessible extreme sports:
1. Indoor Sky Diving
iFLY Downunder offers accessible indoor skydiving in Sydney, the Gold Coast and Perth.
Indoor skydiving at iFLY Downunder is an all-inclusive activity with a state-of-the-art wind tunnel providing a fully controlled, ultra-safe environment that gives everyone the opportunity to fly!
Anyone living with mobility restrictions can feel the sense of freedom, exhilaration and weightlessness of flying as they experience indoor skydiving. Carers can also provide assistance alongside the qualified instructors inside the wind tunnel without having to pay any entrance fees.
2. Scuba Diving
Dive Unlimited in Perth have been training disabled scuba divers since 2013.
Dive Unlimited in Perth specialises in delivering scuba diving courses for people with disabilities so they can experience the wonders of the ocean.
The accessible dive course consists of the same training and certification as able-bodied divers, except the certification process is paced and adapted to the divers’ individual needs. During the course you will learn the history of diving, dive physics and physiology, dive equipment, planning and executing a dive safely.
3. Bungee Jumping
AJ Hackett Bungy was the first company to commercialise, safe bungy jumping in 1988 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Now, they have multiple locations across New Zealand, Australia, China, Singapore, France and Russia!
If you’re brave enough to give bungy jumping a go, AJ Hackett can accommodate wheelchair users, people with limited or no eyesight and other disabilities. If you don’t think bungy jumping is for you, they also have plenty of spectator options, so you can sit back and relax while others take the dive!
Check out Jocelyn bungy jump in her wheelchair at AJ Hackett in Cairns:
4. Paragliding
Experience a flying adventure with Parability Paragliding Australia.
Paragliding is a recreational sport where the glider sits in a harness below a fabric wing. The wing is held in shape by air flow and suspension lines. Parability Paragliding Australia in Newcastle and Port Macquarie, New South Wales has adapted the sport through tandem flights in a specially built ability chair.
The not-for-profit organisation focuses on changing peoples’ perception and attitudes towards disability and disabled people. They also strive to motivate people with disabilities to get involved in the sport and share the joy of paragliding.
5. Go-Karting
Le Mans Go Karts in Victoria now has accessible vehicles for anyone with a disability to have a ride in!
Le Mans Go Karts in South Dandenong, Victoria provides people with limited mobility the chance to enjoy the thrill and excitement of racing in real go-karts. The go-karts have been adapted so that disabled adults can drive in tandem with their carer. They also have hoists to help people with a physical disability enter and exit the go-karts with ease.
With four incredible tracks spanning 23 acres, you can drive day or night, in both dry and wet conditions thanks to the floodlit circuits!
6. Surfing
The DSAA has been enabling people with disabilities to enjoy surfing since 1986!
The Disabled Surfers Association of Australia (DSAA) enables people with disabilities to experience surfing at locations all around Australia and New Zealand. Originally, the organisation was set up for injured surfers but within a short space of time the DSAA was giving anyone with a disability the opportunity to give surfing a go!
Safety and fun are key priorities for the organisation who’s aim is to allow people of all abilities to enjoy quality time at the beach. Under the supervision of trained volunteers, the DSAA accepts people of all ages and abilities to participate!
At Automobility we are dedicated to enabling life’s journey! We design our Wheelchair Access Vehicles (WAVs) to meet the specific needs of each individual. If you’d like to know more about how a WAV can benefit an active lifestyle, you can contact our team here. We are more than happy to support you along the way.
