My name is Andrew Swindale. I am 29 years of age and was born with autism. I work three days a week at the Gladstone Endeavour workshop.
I have abundance of vibrant energy for life especially when it comes to sport. My favourite sports are cricket and football. During footy season I participate in footy tipping competitions online with our local radio station and at work. I enjoy watching different types of sport on TV or Sky TV at our local sports club.
In the past three years I have been a team member of the Gladstone Glen Gold Cricket Club. They have accepted me as a person instead of my disability. My major achievement is when I recently scored six runs not out. Other benefits are being respected and valued, which has enabled me to feel like ‘one of the boys’. They have been non-judgmental and given me the opportunity to enhance my skills and included me.
No one will ever know how much the interaction continues to help me to understand the real meaning of teamwork, and opened a whole new world for me to reach my potential and have a better quality of life
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License