PUTTING HAND UP TO HELP OTHERS

Since coming into the league back in 1967, the Penrith Panthers have always been a passionate community club. While their feats on the field have been a pleasure to watch in recent years, it’s their work off the field that deserves more recognition.

Whether it’s school or hospitals visits, or working with the disabled and Panthers on the Prowl, the club often leads the way in giving back to the local community.

Penrith players are set to be more involved than ever soon after many of them eagerly put their hand up to work with What Ability, an NDIS registered disability support service that utilises professional and semi-professional athletes as support workers to provide community access for people living with a disability.

Former rugby league rising star and founder Steve Dresler visited the Panthers Rugby League Academy recently to present to players the opportunities What Ability can offer them.

The response was extraordinary, with 15 NRL players and a dozen Jersey Flegg players keen to learn more about the Foundation.

“At What Ability, we use athletes as support workers because they’re young, they’re energetic and they’re fun – everything people in disability need,” Dresler told Extra Time “They’ve got availability for fun, flexible work; they need fun, flexible work that fits into their travel, training and busy schedules and we can accommodate that.

“I was a semi-professional athlete with the Eels for five years but got medically retired due to three ACLs and started What Ability. Now we’ve got athletes from the NRL, Super Rugby, Super Netball, cricket, AFL, A-League – every sporting code in the country involved.”

Dresler said athletes playing at NRL, AFL or Super Rugby level don’t often sign up to What Ability for the money, but instead to give back to the community and have a positive impact.

“One of our athletes Tom Trbojevic is on big money at Manly, but he donates his What Ability salary back to the Foundation,” he said.

“But for your AFLW and NRLW players, your Pathways and Academy players and rookies in the team, this is their second income. We offer fun, flexible work and athletes jump at it because they can work mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends – whatever suits their schedules.”

Dresler said an average day for a What Ability athlete may be picking up a participant in the morning, taking them out to lunch or a fun activity, before dropping them back home later on.

Panthers backrower Luke Garner has been involved with What Ability for several years and gives up a lot of his spare time to help out.

“Luke works a lot – he is amazing and he just gets it,” Dresler said.

“Everyone that’s high profile, they do the same work as a regular support worker and that’s why it works so well. We don’t have ambassadors that just turn up to stuff, all our athletes are personally involved.”

The interested Panthers players are currently going through the extensive sign-up process and could be working with local participants by the end of the year.