Special skaters teach fellow mates to glide in style

Special skaters teach fellow mates to glide in style

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 24, 2013: Two years ago, Dhanya Rao, a child with special needs, romped home to Mangalore, festooned with two gold medals, after participating in a roller skating event in the Special Olympics in Athens, Greece. But she has not been resting on her laurels.

Today, 16-year-old Ms. Rao, along with schoolmate Arun Kumar, helps nine other students in Chetana Child Development Centre, a school for special people, learn skating.

The classes are held thrice a week for an hour. Chandrika, a teacher, guides them and the two students help the others, aged four to 18.

Ms. Rao literally handholds the others while skating. “Dhanya holds the others and helps them while skating,” Ms. Chandrika says.

She says Mr. Kumar, 19, especially helped the others with tying the laces of their skates. It is a task that takes the group 15 minutes, says Ms. Chandrika.

Ms. Rao and Mr. Arun had attended a 10-day workshop on skating a few years ago in Hyderabad. In Mangalore, Mahesh Kumar has trained them. Ms. Rao says she helps two other batchmates.

Neetha Shenoy, who teaches at the school and is one of the trustees, says, “Within no time, they have learnt.”

Narasimharaju, Administrator, Chetana Child Development Centre, says, “We are encouraging it. They are taking it in good spirit.”

“The school started the skating classes so that Dhanya can continue skating and also because she and Arun can help others learn skating. The classes are held thrice a week,” says Narasimharaju.

Courtesy : The Hindu