On Monday evenings, Caleb, a Hireup client, goes swimming. He does laps, treads the water, and has lane-side conversations with his support worker James - who also fully participates in swimming as part of his support shift with Caleb.
“Being in the water gives me peace of mind,” says Caleb. “It gives me time to relax, and lets us catch up on what the week looks like, how we've been going, and stuff like that.”
The pair first started having regular shifts in 2021 after being connected by a mutual friend.
“[Our friend] reckoned that we'd get along like a house on fire,” laughs James. “I had worked in disability support for about four years, but Caleb was my first Hireup client and the reason that I joined Hireup initially.”
“We’re both pretty quiet for the most part, but also love to have a chat with people when we get the opportunity. He's someone who I feel I can be pretty honest with.”
Before signing up to Hireup, Caleb researched his options. “I pulled the information together before I made the decision. Joining Hireup took a lot of stress away, it was a really good move for me.”
“To me, good quality support is when you communicate well and meet the person halfway.”
As well as their weekly swim, James has supported Caleb with his Special Olympic Australia (SOA) competition readiness - together they food prep and James drops off Caleb at his training sessions.
“We always talk about what he's working towards, his next endeavour,” says James. “He did the Special Olympics National Games recently, and did well there. It's always awesome seeing your clients succeeding in what they put their mind to. And Caleb's the epitome of that. He gets so focused, wants to get in there, and wants to have a good time.”
Caleb became a SOA athlete in 2005 and now competes in bocce, athletics, and sailing.
Recalling his SOA athlete career highlights, Caleb reflects that being the Australian flag bearer during the Trans-Tasman Games’ opening ceremony “was the biggest achievement of my life.” He also enjoyed forming friendships with his fellow athletes: “I’ve done a lot of sports over the years and I’ve built very strong friendships along the way.”
Are you a Special Olympics Australia athlete who's keen to have a Hireup support worker assist with your training? Book a call with our team to find out more.
