Gold Medals and Inspiration

The current cohort of the LIP are taking full advantage of the relationship with The Illawarra Connection and then some, many of whom have not only used their complimentary ticket to the bi-monthly dinner meeting, but returned many times more. RDA Illawarra and the Leadership Illawarra Program appreciate the many benefits of the collaboration with The Illawarra Connection, above and beyond the sponsorship and scholarship they provide.

Last night's Dinner Meeting saw yet another fantastic turn out of LIP cohort, Alumni, Mentors and host employers, no doubt due to the interest in the speaker, Paralympian Dylan Alcott. If you missed the event you really did miss out.

Joining us and attending her first The Illawarra Connection Dinner Meeting was Danielle Condon, A/g Assistant Director at Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development. Danielle enjoyed the opportunity to meet LIP cohort and mentors as well as members of the RDA Board and LIP Steering Committee.

Dylan shared honestly and genuinely about his journey to get to gold medal status in 2 sports at the Paralympics, wheelchair basketball and tennis, and what drives him besides sport and personal goals.

One of the highlights was the passing of Dylan’s medals around the crowd, and he encouraged people to take photos and share them as long as the medal wasn’t stolen to be posted on eBay for sale!

We got a little cheeky here at RDA and asked Dyaln to join us for a LIP exclusive breakfast for Wednesday morning following TIC, as we previously arranged with Steve Sammartino, however we couldn’t make this happen. Doesn’t hurt to ask though!  Dylan was leaving at 5.30am for a day of meetings in Canberra with the Prime Minister and other politicians, lobbying for improvements to employment opportunities and the NDIS.