Meet Janice Whittle
- Casey Hyde
- May 26, 2022
- 3 min read
Notes from the biographer:
Janice is a character in the parkrun community. Visually her body is tattooed from head to toe! Janice has her beautiful guide dog Keegan. Both Janice and her sidekick want to become a statesman. This title is given when you complete all parkruns in your state. Janice was the first Irish vision impaired person to complete the alphabet challenge. Meaning she did every parkrun that relates to a letter in the alphabet. Janice has ambitions to be the first vision impaired female to participate at Puckapunyal parkrun.
Janice is a motivational speaker located in Brisbane, she likes to show off her tattoos as a model. She enjoys attending festivals and exploring Australia with her parkrun ambitions. Janice has created some wonderful t-shirts to help her feel welcomed at parkrun. They are very amusing for sighted runners to stop and have a chat with Janice.
How did you become a para athlete:
I was born with epilepsy and averaging 7-8 seizures a day whilst on medication. Aged 19 I underwent experimental brain surgery. As a result of the unsuccessful brain surgery, I lost 94% of my vision, the use of my right arm and leg, my speech, my sense of smell, taste and touch. I was then told that due to the 'mishap' I needed to organise my paperwork and I was given 5 years to live. Almost 5 years later, I had a stroke which affected my left arm and leg. A month later, I had a heart attack.
I now have 3 forms of epilepsy, an acquired brain injury, hypothalamic disease and brain cancer. My vision is deteriorating and I will eventually go totally blind. I have been able to rebuild the use of my arm and leg but still quite weak. My speech is a lot better but I still struggle with words. I am very weak on my left side. My sense of smell, taste and touch will never recover. Hypothalamic disease is untreatable.
Having brain cancer has made everything quite difficult as my body is deteriorating, but I am trying to fight it with natural remedies rather than medical treatment. Parkrun has assisted me with coordination and strength but more importantly it has helped with the sense of belonging. Parkrun is my therapy. I'm a fighter!!!!
What is your age group:
52
What sport do you feel most included in:
parkrun, definitely parkrun.
How did you start your sporting journey:
After moving interstate I needed to find an activity to be able to meet other people and I was recommended to try parkrun. It was a great success.
Have you had any challenges:
I have had many challenges throughout my parkrun activities. Some are social challenges as some people don't seem to understand that a person with a disability is also able to participate in these social/sporting activities. I struggle with balance, so some parkruns, like trails, are extremely difficult and scary due to constant uneven ground and not being able to see the unevenness. Having epilepsy affects me when running on the hotter days. Hypothalamic disease makes it very risky.
How has the community helped you on your sporting journey:
I have met some wonderful people through parkrun and we have formed great friendships. Achilles Brisbane has assisted me by organising visual guides to help me beat my pb on several occasions. A simple thing like the general community following my page gives me more ambition to fight my medical condition and prove the doctors wrong, again!
What mobility aids or support have you used to stay included:
Electronic mini guide, guide dog, visual guide
What has been your biggest achievement with your sporting journey:
I love completing the different parkrun challenges on the apps. I am currently attempting to complete every parkrun in Queensland, which I am hoping I will achieve by the end of the year. But the best achievement of all, is I haven't given up and have proven the doctors wrong after being told that I will never be able to walk again.
What advice would you give to the next person wanting to get into yo
ur sport:
"If I can do it, you can too" is my motto. If you want to try it, then give it a go, as you will not achieve anything if you don't try. Giving it a go is a success in my opinion!!!
How can people get in touch to help you continue your sporting journey:
PHOTO OF MYSELF IN MY PARKRUN GEAR AND MY GUIDE DOG 'KEEGAN' IN HIS HARNESS, STANDING ON THE GRASS BESIDE A BIG POST AT THE CLEVELAND PARKRUN IN QUEENSLAND PROMOTING THE PARKRUN AND GIVING THE DETAILS OF WHEN,
WHERE, COST, TIME, DISTANCE ETC.
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