Father's Day special Gift, and Cam's story

00:11 S1

On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show. With me, your host, Harriet Moffat. Father's Day was September 1st. So in recognition of celebrating the day, I have two handler interviews for you. The first is with Gift Bimha, seeing eye dog handler to Ralph, dad to six and Australia's first blind heroics competitor. We're going to talk about his story and life as a dad, his work and partnership with Ralph, and his inspiring fitness journey. Then I have a repeat from 2023 featuring cam rolls, a Seeing eye dogs handler, dad and lawyer. Two very different lives of dads who are blind or have low vision.

If you're blind, or have low vision and are thinking about dog guide mobility, make sure you head to our website or reach out to our friendly team at Info at Sydney, for [?more] about becoming a senior dogs handler. and now we have Gift's Story. I hope you enjoy. Hi Gift. Thank you for joining me on the show today.

01:20 S2

Thank you very much.

01:21 S1

So could you please start off by introducing yourself, you know, do you work, have a family? Any hobbies and interests that you'd like to tell us about?

01:28 S2

Hello I'm Gift, I'm originally from Zimbabwe. I migrated to Australia in 2017. Shortly after migration I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which led me to a rapid deterioration of my eyesight. Currently, I only have light perception. Alongside my partner, we are raising six children ranging from 2 to 13 years old. My hobbies include exercising, going to the gym, enjoying audio description of books and movies and podcast, and mostly spending quality time with the family.

02:12 S1

That would be such a big transition, not just to kind of come to a whole new country, but then to have lost your eyesight at the same time too.

02:19 S2

Yes, yes, it's such a big transition. And having the family there has been a has been a great support system that I have. Yeah, I'm lucky to have that.

02:29 S1

Did they all come over at the same time too?

02:32 S2

No, they didn't come over at the same time... my kids were born here and I was the only one still there, so... yeah, they're all here.

02:41 S1

So could you please introduce your Seeing Eye Dog?

02:45 S2

My seeing eye dog's name is Ralph, and he's three years old. He's a lab cross golden retriever, and he's black in color. Ralph is a... big personality, and it took us a bit of time for us to gel nicely together.

03:00 S1

But do you feel like you have gelled nicely together now?

03:04 S2

We have the... he knows, he knows. He knows what I'm all about and I know what he's all about. So we we sort of have come to an understanding.

03:13 S1

So is he your first seeing eye dog, and what made you decide to apply for a seeing eye dog?

03:20 S2

Yes. He is my first dog. Initially, I felt really apprehensive about the decision to getting a seeing eye dog. However, as my vision deteriorated, it began to impact my ability to navigate independently. I realised that I was losing my autonomy. So I took the lead and applied for a dog. Looking back at it, it's been one of the best decisions I could ever have made. Yeah.

03:50 S1

What is a typical day in your life together?

03:54 S2

This morning I wake up and feed my furry, furry companion his dry foods. As the children get ready for school I see them. And then Ralph and I accompany them to their walk to school. Once we return home, we venture out in the community, and sometimes other times we go down to the beach for beach, cafe, coffee and back home again. And then Ralph settles down on his bed while I tend the chores and work. Occasionally we hit the gym together where he quietly rests near the equipment. By 3 pm, Ralph and I head back to the school to pick up the children, bringing them home to prepare for their sporting activities. So that's basically my my typical day with Ralph.

04:48 S1

It sounds pretty busy. What does it mean to have Ralph in your life as a parent?

04:53 S2

Yeah, it's... Ralph plays a crucial role in maintaining my independence, supporting me in my fatherly responsibilities. Abilities. He is in depth. Navigating skills ensured that I reach the necessary destination. Without him, I would lack the confidence to leave my home and participate in my children's daily activities safely.

05:16 S1

Taking a few children on the walk to school as kind of quite a lot going on. And I guess keeping track of them with, you know, whilst using another mode of mobility or nothing would be quite challenging.

05:28 S2

Yes, it would be, definitely.

05:30 S1

So is there anything else that you would kind of like to tell us about... you know, how Ralph fits in with family life? 

05:38 S2

Ralph has become an integral part of the family. The kids adore him and relish the time with him playing in the background when he's not working. Yeah. During these times, he behaves just like any other dog his age. And the kids love him so much. And yeah, they really have bonded with him as well. As much as I've bonded with him, he feels like he's definitely part of the family.

06:03 S1

It would be quite nice to kind of have, I guess like a you know, he is obviously like someone who really helps them in some ways, you know, alongside you, but also they're a friend too. That's kind of quite a special, unique relationship for a kid. And kind of their dog, but not their dog.

06:19 S2

Yeah, because I look at Ralph like we he's not just my singing idol. It's like when we're on the street, we are working together. We work together. He's guiding me, but we are basically working together to make sure that we get home safe.

06:32 S1

So you've also mentioned that you've embarked on a bit of a kind of health and fitness journey. Could you please tell us a bit about this and what inspired you to... yeah, pursue fitness?

06:44 S2

I grapple with feelings of depression and the challenges posed by my loss of vision. Determined to find motivation and some bit of inspiration, I embarked on health and fitness journey. This path not only have strengthened my mental resilience but also ignited a desire to inspire others while maintaining my own sense of inspiration. That's what my journey has been, with my fitness journey.

07:11 S1

So what are the activities that you're doing that's part of that kind of fitness, like walking... or you did mention going to the gym?

07:19 S2

Yeah, yeah. So some of the activities I'm looking at, I'm looking at next year, I'm looking at running my first half marathon. Wow. And then hopefully the other year I'm looking at running. I want to run the full marathon. So it's it's goals that I'm just setting for myself. And it's it's all about exercising and making sure that I'm... in a good headspace space.

07:42 S1

And how have you found that that does help your headspace?

07:46 S2

Oh it does. It does help. It it does help a lot. And it just gives me the, the mental strength just to keep going on and, and to, you know, that that's, that's been a big part of it. And also I've been doing that I've, I find out that it's actually inspiring other people as well, so it definitely motivates me to keep on doing it.

08:06 S1

And so you've done Hyrox, which is kind of a gym competition type thing, isn't it? Can you explain Hyrox to someone that doesn't understand it properly?

08:15 S2

So Hyrox is is basically a fitness, a fitness race whereby... fitness race which got obstacle course, you run, you run about eight kilometres and each kilo in between each kilometre, there's an obstacle that an obstacle that you need to you need to be doing. Like you run one kilometre, you do a sled, push for a kilometre, you run another kilometre, you get off, run another kilometre. You do... a rower, you row for a kilometre, then you get off, you run another kilometre until you've done all eight stations and you've run eight kilometres.

08:56 S1

Wow.

08:57 S2

So in between that, in between that the beauty part about it is people are coming in different waves, people are studying different times. So basically you're just racing with yourself and the time you're behaving, a time chip on your leg so no one knows what position you are in. And it's really people. Some people are doing walking and but I've noticed everybody gets to finish the race.

09:21 S1

Which is quite kind of nice in itself because it's not, you know, it's not kind of like, you know, being sad. You know, you're accomplishing it regardless of what you come as well. You're... just doing it for you.

09:32 S2

Yes. And the good thing about it is when I did my my race, I had guys who were professional, whom I started with. And during the race you lose everybody like, oh, where am I? You don't even know where you are. So you just racing by yourself and just people, you seeing people coming up from the second wave. People just motivate each other. Let's go, let's go, let's go. You know, it's really, really an amazing, amazing atmosphere. And and they they are doing it again I think I'm doing another race again in December. So I'm definitely looking forward to that as well.

10:01 S1

So I imagine in that in that part too, as well as mental health, you're also kind of being part of a community too, which is helpful.

10:08 S2

Oh, 100%. I've met inspirational people. I've met people. I've met people, so many people that I'm like, Wow, oh, you know, and that's that's been that's been so, so good as well for my mental health as well, in particular.

10:24 S1

What has it been like training and competing with low vision or blindness?

10:29 S2

I recently participated in my first Hyrox race event, becoming the first blind individual in Australia to successfully complete the race.

10:40 S1

Oh, wow.

10:41 S2

It stands, it stands as one of my proudest moments. Yeah, the training to leading up to the event was a bit challenging, given the obstacles faced by us guys with an impairment. I needed a few adjustments and find a capable guide to assist me throughout the course. However, with determination and hard work, achieving this goal was very doable. I had a lot of fun doing it. Many inspirational people, like I said and receive incredible support from the community. My advice is don't let obstacles into your progress. Take the step and find the right people to help you achieve those goals.

11:26 S1

So I'm guessing you would recommend training for something like Hyrox for other people who, you know, have blindness or low vision.

11:36 S2

Sorry, you can come again?

11:38 S1

Sorry. So I'm guessing that you would then recommend competing in something like Hyrox to other people you know who are dog handlers or have blindness and low vision.

11:47 S2

To be honest, I highly recommend it. And it's one of those events whereby they are more accommodating and there's a lot of... adjustment that they can, they can do for people, for people who are blind. Like the last, the last obstacle course I do is you have to get a code. The wobble. It's a you have to pick up a six. I think there's a six kilogram weighing bowl. You have to be hitting it up the roof. There's a target. So what they did to me is I didn't have to since I can't see the target. All I had to do was pick up the ball and throw it as close to the target as possible. So things, adjustments like that, they are willing to... accommodate and which is really wonderful.

12:31 S1

Well congrats on accomplishing it. And and being especially, you know, Australia's first.... yeah, person who's blind to complete it. It really is like, an amazing trailblazing accomplishment.

12:42 S3

Yeah, definitely. I'm, yeah, I relish it.

12:45 S1

So how did Ralph fit into any of the training in that type of stuff?

12:49 S2

Ralph takes me to them. Like, I think the biggest challenge that one of it is accessing the gym. And to find a gym that's really accommodating to for me to be more accessible in the gym. And it took, it took it took a few trials with different gyms and until we found one whereby which is close to my house, where Ralph basically walks me to the gym. Yeah. And we've been there a couple of times. He knows the corner where he goes and and have a, have a seat and just lies down there. And just him taking me to the gym. It's been a part of them. And then it just means I wouldn't be able to get the time I need in the gym.

13:32 S1

And it just means that you can concentrate, I guess, as well. If he's kind of lying down there somewhere nicely, neatly in the corner.

13:38 S2

Yeah, 100%, 100%, 100%. I know going home, I don't have to bother anyone like, Oh, take me home or whatever. I know that, Ralph... walked me home nicely.

13:49 S1

So in your time together as a team, you and Ralph. Are there any favorite outings or memories that you would like to share.

13:57 S2

Ralph and I shared countless moments, special moments. Our synergy is remarkable and he's a definite, exceptional companion. Not only is he physically preventing me from entering dangerous obstacles, his unwavering presence truly been incredible.

14:17 S1

So do you have any messages that you would like to share with the general public about life with a seeing eye dog?

14:23 S2

If you're contemplating whether to get a guide dog, I encourage you to give it a try. Not only does it provide additional assistance, but it also offers great independence compared to using a cane. These remarkable dogs serve as both physical and emotional support. My heartfelt thanks to all dedicated puppy raisers who contributes to us gaining our independence and our final note. Happy Father's Day to all the incredible dads and caregivers out there. May your day be filled with love and happiness.

15:00 S1

Thank you so much for joining me on the show and sharing your story, Gift.

15:04 S2

No, you're welcome. You're welcome. Anytime.

15:12 S1

You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show on Vision Australia Radio. That was my interview with Gift Bimha about his life story as a seeing eye dogs handler dad, and his fitness journey. 

Now I'm going to play a part of my interview with Cam Roles from the archives from 2023. Cam is another seeing eye dog handler, dad. And, he's a lawyer as well. So a very different story, but yet another wonderful partnership of Cam and Fergie. So I hope you enjoy a part of this interview. The rest is available on our Omni FM platform or wherever you get your podcasts from. Thank you for listening to the Seeing Eye Dog Show. Hi Cam, thanks for joining me on the show today.

15:50 S6

Oh my pleasure, Harriet, thanks for having me.

15:52 S1

It's cool. We're finally, finally kind of together back down in Melbourne and we've had exactly... a few different interviews where you've been in other parts of Australia? 

S3

Yep. 

S1

So can you please introduce yourself to start off?

16:04 S3

Yeah, sure. So... I'm obviously Cameron Roles, and I work as a senior lecturer at the ANU College of Law, where I teach employment and corporations law. I'm also very privileged to be a director on the Vision Australia board. And, and of course, I'm privileged to be a father for two wonderful boys.

16:23 S1

So could you please introduce your seeing eye dog? And how long have you been working together?

16:27 S3

Sure. So, Fergie... is my seeing eye dog, and I... received Fergie in in April 2021, right at the end of April 21st. And we did our training. And then shortly after that we all went into lockdown. So... that was probably a little bit disruptive for her development. But, obviously we've all been out of lockdown really for...  you know, the best part of a year now. And the partnership is going from strength to strength.

16:54 S1

That's great. Would have been quite a strange time to have been going through that kind of matching process as the world's kind of in this very strange flux state.

17:04 S3

Yeah. Yes and no. I guess because the matching sort of still continued, because, as you know, the dogs sort of still needed ongoing care. And, and their training sort of continued even through, um, Covid. So and I had been on the waiting list for a while because my previous dog I knew was getting towards the end of his working life. But fortunately for me, he was, you know, still very strong, very active. So it wasn't a rushed matching process. So for a while they knew that I was looking and they had plenty of time to match Fergie up, which was great.

17:38 S1

When it came to the to the matching. At what point were you kind of looking for maybe something like, you know, as far as having an older dog obviously would be quite challenging when you're, you know, doing lots of like interstate travel and all of that type of thing. Was that something that was kind of on your on your list a little bit earlier than potentially, you know, slowing down?

18:02 S3

No not really. I mean, I, I'm a big believer in... sort of planning a dog's retirement. So rather than just waiting until the day arrives and the dog is absolutely not able to continue to work, I'd almost rather retire a dog six months earlier and have it still working right up until the end, and then move to my next dog. And so I knew Cooper was coming towards the end. My previous dog and... so, yeah, I'd... you know, I'd already discussed with... the team at Seeing Eye Dogs how that transition might work.

18:39 S1

Was there anything that surprised you kind of getting to know Fergie? And I guess adapting to a very different dog or not different dog? 

18:47 S3

No. Well, she is different. I mean, all of them have their own personalities. Fergie's my third dog. They've all got their own personalities They've all got their own traits. They've all got their own strengths and weaknesses. It's like any relationship. Every relationship that you're in is different in one form or another. And, you know, be that family, friends, the dogs, etc.. So she is different to Cooper in some respects. I think the biggest adjustment for me initially was, oh my goodness, you know, she just doesn't know what I want or need. Whereas, you know, after you've had a dog for a while, you almost become like dance partners. You're in sync. And you... you know, you're working with that dog. This is a whole... this was a case of, okay, I've got to start that whole relationship again. And of course, we forget what it was like the previous time. 

So every time it feels really new and really unusual. But after a while, it starts it, you get in sync and it's it's almost like it was with the previous dog.

19:44 S1

And you maybe think, oh, it's this specific dog, but actually, no, it's that you forgot that actually, probably it was eight years earlier. It was the.

19:52 S3

It's the usual state of affairs. Absolutely. And that's what the instructors kept assuring me. And and that's how it's turned out.

19:59 S1

So sometimes it's a little bit a case of trust. The trust the process. Yeah.

20:03 S3

Absolutely. Trust the process. So I hadn't met Fergie before she was allocated to me. And I was fine with that because, she was my third dog. And, you know, I was confident in the process, and I was happy to just just to trust it.

20:18 S1

So obviously this is kind of probably going back quite, quite a way. But what made you decide to apply for a seeing eye dog? Have you or have you always been a keen user or a seeing eye dog handler or dog handler? 

20:33 S3

Yeah. So I initially was a cane user and... my brother got a guide dog first, and... I saw the improvement in, you know, the speed at which he could travel and the ease with which he could get around. And I thought, okay, well, I think I want to do this as well. And so I... got my first guide dog, you know, a couple of years after him, and... it was that ease of travel and, and ease of navigation that really sort of inspired me to do it.

21:10 S1

If there's a, if there's no other motivator, sibling rivalry has to be it doesn't it... have to be faster than my brother.

21:17 S3

Absolutely. And, you know, I was at a point in my life where I was starting, like I was working as a lawyer in Sydney. I was going to different courts. There was a lot of mental load doing that with a cane. And... of course, you know, often I was the one representing our clients and, and so therefore I, you know, I didn't necessarily want to ask the client to guide me to the various courts. And so having a dog really became, you know, incredibly useful in that sense, because the dog would remember the different courts and... you know, with me could... navigate through them. And... that really made a big difference.

21:51 S1

Have you always been blind?

21:53 S3

Yeah, I have, ever since birth. So I was born three months early, and my blindness was caused by receiving too much oxygen at birth. And it was quite a common thing when I was born. And, you know, I don't blame the doctors at all. I mean, from their point of view, they had two choices. They either give you too much oxygen and risk losing your sight, or they give you too little and you'll die. So I'm glad they made the choice. They did. And, you know, it's... something which, you know, was always a risk. And it turned out to be the way it is. But I've lived a really fortunate and fulfilled life, so I'm quite happy with it.

22:27 S1

So going back to the present and having Miss Fergie, what are your favorite things about her and why do you think you were matched?

22:34 S3

So I'm a very fast walker by and large... and all my dogs, well, my last two dogs from Seeing Eye Dogs have both been fast walkers, and when they came up to do the assessment, they were struck at how quick my previous dog, Cooper, was, even at sort of ten years of age. And they said, Right, we're going to need a fast dog. And Fergie is incredibly fast. So, so much so that I have to wind her pace back a little sometimes. So our speed was really the main thing, and also said that I wanted a dog who was very reliable in terms of their toileting, because I was in professional settings and I wanted a dog who'd be predictable around that. And Fergie fits that bill very well as well. 

So these are all the things that perhaps people don't think of when they're thinking about what makes a good dog, but they're incredibly important, particularly in a professional setting. I should say, too, she's she's black and I've always had black dogs because if I wear a dark suit, the dog hair doesn't show up.

23:31 S1

So being a lawyer kind of, I guess wearing something like bright or tweed or beige is just not an option.

23:37 S3

Look, it's indigo for the conservative suits.

23:40 S1

Yeah. As as a, as a puppy carer who has had my last two dogs be yellow. Um, you'd.

23:47 S3

Know all too well about the yellow hair.

23:48 S1

Problem. I cannot, I can't wear black trousers.

23:53 S3

That's right. And it's, you know, as a totally blind person myself, it's just too hard to keep all the hair off, if it's really visible like that. So, and that's, as you know, you can brush your dog as I do, and I get a very regularly groomed and washed and all that sort of stuff, but you inevitably get little bits of hair. So having a dark dog was was very handy.

24:12 S1

So what is the typical day in the life of... sorry, a week in the life, I guess of... Cameron, Fergie?

24:18 S3

So it's pretty varied. It could involve travel like I'm doing now, or it could involve delivering classes at the university. It almost certainly involves going to some sort of activity with my kids. Some sort of sporting commitment or some sort of after school activity.

24:36 S1

How old are they?

24:36 S3

They're 17 and 18. So perhaps call them kids. A bit of a misnomer, isn't it? But, they're teenagers, so they often have extracurricular activities. Or if I need to go to the shop and pick something up on the way home or something like that. Fergie will do that, of course. Any sort of travel that I end up doing.

24:53 S1

I think it would be pretty interesting for them to have have grown up with your seeing eye dogs. How has parental experience been with a seeing eye dog?

25:00 S3

Look, pretty good. The boys have, you know, one of my boys is a cat fan and one's a dog fan, so I don't own a cat, so he gets his cat fill at other houses. But the other boy who loves dogs, him and Fergie, get on extremely well, and they have a really nice relationship. And they... had a great relationship with my previous dog Cooper as well. So yeah, for the boys, I think it's been really good for them to have a dog that's obedient and, you know, does what it's told, but it's also happy to be off duty and be a pet.

25:29 S1

She has a, has her moments of being one of one of the family.

25:33 S3

Oh, she certainly does. She certainly does.

25:36 S1

So what is it like working at a university and as an academic? As a dog handler? I know that's your life. You're probably quite used to it.

25:43 S3

Yeah, I am, I am quite used to it. I mean, I don't know that it's much different to working elsewhere. The only thing is, Fergie is actually quite vocal, so she'll often sort of do the odd sort of low growl or the odd whimper, and sometimes they'll be in the middle of a lecture and suddenly there'll be this low sort of growl from the front, and the class will start, or there'll be this sort of yawn at the front, and I'll make some joke about, sorry, guys, I'm obviously putting the dog to sleep.

26:05 S1

So she does a little bit of a grumble.

26:07 S3

She does? Yep. She does. And sometimes it's very well timed towards, you know, a particularly dry point that I might be making or whatever, and that'll get a laugh out of the class. And often at the end of the semester, I'll... say to them that, if they'd like to stay behind and, and pat the dog, they're welcome to. And normally that attracts a big swathe of students heading down the front. So yeah. No, she fits in perfectly well. And I think the students actually really like having her in the room.

26:35 S1

I can imagine it would be a pretty busy kind of, you know, campus type of life. Running around with a with a seeing eye... 

26:43 S3

It is. Lots of crowds. Yeah. Lots of crowds. The odd bits of food on the ground, the odd ball sort of bouncing you know, soccer balls and soccer fields and then of course, wildlife, birds and other things sort of swooping and flying across the the path and things like that. So yeah, there's a lot to distract her, but she does really well. She navigates it very, very well.

27:02 S1

And for such a, for such a young, young dog, it's, it's almost like she's kind of living her student student life as well. Exactly. As a professional obviously as a professional.

27:11 S3

That's right. And you know, there's also, you know, some staff members really love her as well. So they'll take her for walks at lunchtime or if I'll go and visit them in my work role, sometimes I'll just... there's one particular staff member that she's very fond of and... I'll just let her off. They can have a bit of a rumble and a pat, and then I'll put it back on harness and back to work.

27:35 S1

And you've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog show on Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interviews with Bift Bimha and Cam Roles, and that you had a lovely Father's Day. The rest of my interview with Cam and other Seeing Eye Dogs Show podcasts are available on the Omni FM page for Seeing Eye Dog Show or your preferred podcast platform. 

If you're blind or have low vision and are thinking about becoming a seeing eye dog handler, it might help open up a new world of fitness or help you in your role as a parent or caregiver. Our friendly team would love to have a chat with you about dog guide, mobility, and your circumstances. To inquire about getting a Seeing Eye dog, please contact us by calling 1800 037 773 or email info@seds.org ... To find out more about seeing eye dogs, the work we do, or how you can help, head to our website at SED dot Vision Australia dot org. 

Thank you for listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs show and don't forget to tune in same time next week for another episode of The Seeing Eye Dogs Show.