2 Sydney gymnasts qualify for 2016 Trisome Games

It's not only swimmers headed for the 2016 Trisome Games in Italy next month. Congratulations, and good luck to gymnasts Nick Zrnic and Chris Bunton:

Epping YMCA gymnasts head to Italy for World Down syndrome Trisome Games John Besley, Northern District Times, 15 June 2016

While much of the world begins to set its sights on Rio for the Olympics, two Epping YMCA gymnasts are preparing for a different kind of Games.

Nicholas Zrnic and Christopher Bunton, both 23, will head to Italy next month to represent Australia at the 2016 World Down syndrome Trisome Games ...

The pair are the only Australian male gymnasts to qualify ... read on here.

Earlier posts on Chris Bunton's gymnastics career:

• Chris Bunton - on 'The Nationals', for IDPWD (2014)
• Christopher Bunton, gold medallist! (2010)

• Previous posts on 2016 Trisome Games

Support Team Australia through new Facebook page

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia has set up a new Facebook page specifically for Team Australia's participation in the 2016 World Championships in Florence, Italy next month. The swimming championships will be part of the Trisome Games 2016.

The team training camp and presentation of uniforms for Italy has been held in Brisbane this weekend - lots of photos and news have been posted already.

Like the page to keep up with preparation and travel, and to cheer the team on in Italy. Send messages of support, and congratulations throughout the games, 15 - 22 July 2016

Congratulations and good luck to all the team members and supporters!

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia team presented with World Championships uniforms

Kathy McLeish, ABC News, 12 June 2016

After years of preparation and training, the Down Syndrome Swimming Australia team has been presented with their uniform ahead of the World Championships in July. The 22 swimmers, from around Australia, gathered in Brisbane to enjoy some time in the spotlight before they fly to Florence in four weeks ...

"We hold more than 50 per cent of all the available world records in Down syndrome swimming, we've been the champion team for the last four World Championships, we'll probably do that again this year," he said. "This is a seriously good, seriously competitive bunch of people ...

Previous posts on the Trisome Games 2016:

• NSW swimmers in Team Australia: Trisome Games 2016
• Funding campaign for Trisome Games 2016
• Congratulations Team Australia, Florence 2016 !
• Trisomy Games 2016: Florence

Update on Trisome Games: artistic gymnasts and swimmers shine

Congratulations to the gynmnasts and swimmers doing so well at the Trisome Games in Florence this week.  Keep following their progress on  Facebook as they post fabulous photos and updates every day. Special Olympics Australia  posted on Facebook yesterday (20 July 2016):

Congratulations to the Trisome Games 2016 artistic gymnastics team who competed earlier this week in Florence, Italy. They brought home 2 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals!  

The athletes competing are: Chris Bunton, Olivia Sadler, Ashley Kuhle, Beth Hull, Emile Koen and Nicholas Zrnic.   

Down Swimming Australia - Italy 2016 World Championships posted last night, with photos:

20th July: 6 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

• Swimming results
• Gymnastics results

Thursday 21st July is the final day of competition, and includes rhythmic gymnastics.

• Trisome Games 2016  on Facebook, and on Instagram follow #trisomegames2016

Trisome Games 2016: starts 15 July

While team selection for the Rio Olympics is in the news, our focus is on these elite athletes with Down syndrome:

Australia contest Trisome World Games

Gymnastics Australia, 7 July 2016

Australian Down Syndrome Gymnastics Team ready to take on the World at Trisome World Games in Florence, Italy from 15th - 22nd July.

The team (left on) 13th July with coaches Abigail McPherson and Emile Koen for 1 week of competition. 

This is the first time all sports have joined together to create a World Championship at the one venue or close by. 

The 5 gymnasts will compete against all countries around the continent with a Junior section 10 to 17 yrs and Senior 18 and over. 

Being with other athletes with Down Syndrome will be great as everyone is competing on equal body and intellectual ability which will be a wonderful experience for them.

Back L Nicholas Zrnic, Chris Bunton, Abi McPherson
(Rhythmic coach)
Front L Olivia Sadler (rhythmic), Ashley Kuhle (artistic)
and Beth Hull (rhythmic ).Male coach Emile Koen (absent).

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia - Italy 2016
The Australian Swimming Team has been in Italy for a few days, training and settling in. Lots of photos are on the Facebook page.

Follow the athletes progress, and send them messages of encouragement through any of the social media options.

• The program for the games is here -  results will be posted throughout. Competition starts on Sunday 17 July.

• Trisome Games 2016 are on Facebook, and on Instagram follow #trisomegames2016

Trisome Games 2016 - parade, photos, medals

Facebook is awash with loads of wonderful photos from Down Syndrome Swimming Australia - Italy 2016 World Championship and Trisome Games 2016 of the weekend's preparations, training, the pageantry of the Games parade through the streets of Florence, and the opening ceremony.

This morning there are some from the first day of competition, where the swimmers have collected 6 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Results for both swimming and gymnastics are still being posted on the Trisome Games website,

Please send messages of support, as well as looking at the photos and liking them.

Chris Bunton: gymnast, actor, an accomplished young man

Chris Bunton, From St Clair in Sydney has had a very big few weeks - check out both of these articles for the fabulous photos that accompany his press interviews:

Actor stars in Cronulla Riots movie but still finds time to win gymnastics medals overseas

Elisha Pearce, Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard, 5 August 2016
Chris Bunton is a very busy man.

When he spoke to The Standard he had just flown into Sydney from Florence, Italy where he won five medals at the Trisome Games — a competition for people with Down syndrome — and was about to leave to visit Melbourne where Down Under, a feature film he played a prominent role in, will premiere ...

Chris Bunton home from World Trisome Games for Down Under opening

Heath Parkes Upton, St Mary's Mt Druitt Star, 4 August 2016

Chris Bunton is living his dream.

Fresh from a five-medal haul at the World Trisome Games, Mr Bunton was straight on the press junket on Thursday ahead of his big screen debut.

Chris stars as ‘Evan’ in Australian black comedy Down Under, which opens on August 11.

An accomplished gynmast, Chris travelled to Florence, Italy in early July to compete against the best Down syndrome athletes in the world ...

Gymnastic champions at Trisome Games

Gymnastics Australia is keeping us up to date with the Australian gymnasts competing at the Trisome Games 2016 in Italy - and they are doing very well! Congratulations to you all!

Nicholas Zrnic won gymnastics gold for Australia
in the Trisome Games! Here he is pictured with his team mates
 Ashley Khule and Christopher Bunton, who also won medals. 

Beth Hull placed third overall in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Chris Bunton - silver in artistic gymnastics

• All gymnastics results

Thanks to Gymnastics Australia for permission to re-post their photos, and keeping us all informed.

Trisomy Games 2016: Florence

For number of years, Australian swimmers with Down syndrome have competed with great success in the International Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, under the auspices of Down Syndrome Swimming Australia. More recently a number of other sports have been added to international competitions where athletes with Down syndrome compete only against their peers with Down syndrome.

In 2016 The Trisome Games are to be held in Florence. Down Syndrome Swimming Australia would like to have 25 swimmers compete there. Visit Down Syndrome Swimming Australia and click on the 'Get Involved' tab for more information.

A formal structure has been developed for staging the Trisomy Games:

The Sports Union for Down Syndrome (SU-DS) was formed to create opportunities for athletes with Down syndrome to compete in international sporting events, offering them a fair and equal opportunity to be successful. In the past, athletes with Down syndrome had to compete against all athletes with intellectual disabilities until it was recognized that they were being out classed in all large sporting events ...

... The first combined games, the Trisomy Games, will take place in Florence, Italy in July 2016. However, the exact dates are still to be finalized and for the first time, the swimming will be run as a long course event. 

Please click here for the rules

NSW swimmers in Team Australia: Trisome Games 2016

Congratulations to Daniel Rumsey and James Lawrence, the NSW representatives on Team Australia for the Trisome Games in Florence in July 2016. Down Syndrome Swimming Australia is campaigning for funds to help them get there, and the local press is supporting both young men with publicity:

Rumsey to represent Australia

Lauren Strode, Southern Highland News, 9 April 2016
Daniel Rumsey, one of Australia's top swimmers, will again represent his country later this year. The Highlands resident has been selected to compete in his sixth Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships which will be held in Florence in July.

Daniel's selection was a result of the success he enjoyed at last year's Down Syndrome Swimming Australia's National Championships ...

Italy beckons for swimmer
Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate, 7 April 2016, p 60 (back page)

Weekend reading and viewing: 25 - 26 June 2016

Carlos Gonzalez Paired Up with Marcus Sikora for a Home-Run with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Mardra Sikora, Huffington Post, 15 June 2016... there have been those who proclaim labels and then paste them upon him. Labels that, at times, covered the best parts of him. There were, and are, people who only see those labels that put him in a box. A box where he “belongs” in order to fit into the space they want to allot him. A box to keep chances out. A box to contain.

The thing about Marcus is: he doesn’t fit into their box ...

'We fell in love': relationships and people with learning disabilities – in pictures
(UK) Guardian, 20 June 2016

A study conducted by Mencap earlier this year found that one in three young people with a learning disability spent less

Respondents to the survey listed fears including bullying, being laughed at and getting lost as being key concerns when leaving the house. As a result, it can be difficult for people with learning disabilities to build relationships with others.

To celebrate Learning Disability Week, here are some ways that people have found love and friendship through charity programmes.

Queenslanders pool their talents

Gold Coast Titans, 22 June 2016

State of Origin II will attract massive interest tonight at Suncorp Stadium but a few kilometres down the M1 motorway a special Origin event took place today.

Four NSW-eligible Titans – Luke Douglas, Tyrone Roberts, Lachlan Burr and Ryan James – took on four young Queensland swimmers with Down syndrome, who are off to Italy next month to compete in the Trisome Games, in a 4 X 50m freestyle relay.

And it’s all part of the Aquis Gold Coast Titans’ support of Down Syndrome Association Queensland (DSAQ) and the young athletes who will be taking part in the Trisome Games world championships in Florence from 16-22 July ...

• Australian Down Syndrome Swimming Team raising $300,00 to compete in Italy as they chase Paralympics representation, Travis Meyn, The Courier-Mail, 23 March 2016

Mum wins fight to keep son with Down syndrome at school
Anna Hartley, Queensland Times, 22 June 2016 (updated 23 June 2016)
After a day of intense meetings with the Queensland Department of Education and school leaders, Purga mother Ruth Christodoulou can proudly say her twin boys can stay together. Earlier this week Ms Christodoulou voiced her concerns after her son was "pressured" to leave his state school due to his disability ...

The dignity of risk 

Janet Shouse, Tenessee Works, 1 June 2016
... The dignity of risk is an idea that I encountered when my son with autism was in elementary school. The dignity of risk is the right to take risks when engaging in life experiences, and the right to fail in those activities. I think all of us who are parents want to protect our children from physical harm as well as emotional harm ...

Funding campaign for Trisome Games 2016

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia has launched a funding campaign to raise $90,000 for airfares for the Australian team to compete in the Trisome Games in Italy in July.

You can see the promotional video, read about the world champion Down syndrome swimming team who have been winning international championships every year since 2004, and make a donation here.

Let's get these swimmers to Italy where they can represent our generous country and do us proud! If we can get them there, we'd have no doubt that they have the skills to bring home the medals!

Congratulations Team Australia, Florence 2016 !

Swimmers selected to represent Australia at the 8th International Down Syndrome Swimming Championship were announced late in 2015.

The event will be part of the World Trisome Games, taking place in Florence, Italy 15 - 22 July 2016.

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia has named a team of twenty two, including Daniel Rumsey and James Lawrence from NSW. James's brother Brandon has been appointed a coaching assistant. The team will leave Australia on 10 July.

Congratulations to all the swimmers, and the support team members - we wish you well for your training over the next few months , for your official training camp, and for your travel, as well as for the competition.

• World Trisome Games 2016 
• Down Syndrome Swimming Australia
• Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation

NSW Sports Awards: Christopher Bunton, finalist

Congratulations to Christopher Bunton, who has been named as a finalist in the 2016 NSW Sports Awards, in the Athlete of the Year with a Disability category.

In 2016 Chris represented Australia t the Trisome Games in Italy, winning five gymnastics medals.

Chris has honed his skills in gymnastics and as a gymnastics teacher over many years of dedicated training and competition. The cover of the DS NSW Summer 2007 - 2008 Newsletter, featured Tony Stinson's photo of Chris Bunton, taken during competition at the World Special Olympic Games in Shanghai in 2007, as an already accomplished fifteen year old.

The awards will be announced at a gala dinner in Sydney on Thursday, 23 February 2017.

Now in its 22nd year, the prestigious NSW Sports Awards celebrate the finest achievements by NSW athletes, teams, coaches, administrators and organisations in 2016. 

An all-embracing event, the NSW Sports Awards acknowledge the breadth of sporting activity and achievement across the state each year with categories for able-bodied and disabled athletes, young athletes and masters athletes. Awards are also presented for the best event of the year, official of the year and the all important distinguished long service awards for those that have given exceptional long-time service to their sport ... Sport NSW

More people with Down syndrome ...

Ben Paior Smith on Q and A, 4 April 2016

News.com, 5 April 2016
... "Earlier in the program (Q and A, ABC TV,)16-year-old Ben Paior Smith won the audience over with his plea for more support.

“I go to a mainstream school. I need extra help there. I want to know when the Government will help students with disabilities like me properly so I can get a good job when I finish school.”

South Australian MP for the Dignity for Disability party, Kelly Vincent, who herself has cerebral palsy, said funding wasn’t the only problem — there was also a “culture of low expectation”.

“Particularly students with disabilities, we repeatedly see them burdened with low expectations because we don’t expect them to do much.

“We are not investing in that culture that would actually see them asked, ‘what do you want to achieve? What are your skills, assets, capabilities?" ...

• Q and A, 4 April 2016 on ABC iView until 18 April 2016

Peter's Speech - "Stop Discriminating Down!" (Video 4m 49s)
Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA, 14 March 2016

Peter, a young man from Holland with Down syndrome, shares his life and his sadness that so many choose to abort people like him after a prenatal diagnosis.

 Australian Down Syndrome Swimming Team raising $300,00 to compete in Italy as they chase Paralympics representation
Travis Meyn, Courier-Mail via Fox Sports, 23 March 2016

Meet the group behind a push to have athletes with down syndrome given a fair crack at the Paralympics. The Down Syndrome Swimming Australia national team is raising $300,000 to compete at the World Trisome Games in Italy in July ...

The first woman with Down Syndrome to be cast as the face of a beauty company

Emma Spedding, Daily Telegraph (UK), 4 April 2016When it comes to casting, critics often argue the beauty industry has a tendency of representing one narrow, unrealistic type of beauty. But Katie Meade is the latest model who is helping to change all that; she is the first model with Down Syndrome to become the face of a beauty campaign ... "beauty belongs to everybody" ...

Queensland boy with Down syndrome newest face of BondsAmy Mitchell-Whittington, Brisbane Times, 28 March 2016
A Queensland boy with Down syndrome has become the newest face for Bonds after he won the People's Choice category for 2016.

Hyperreal Tales (Video 6 m)

Bundanon Trust, ABC Open, 17 March 2016

Hyperreal Tales has been three years in development.  Director/choreographer Philip Channells and filmmaker Sam James worked with nineteen storytellers and artists, initially contacted with the help of local health and disability service providers ... 

• Group photo on Bundanon Trust Facebook page today (5 April 2016)

World swimming champions - again!

The Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships were held as part of the Trisome Games 2016 in Italy this week. Down Syndrome Swimming Australia took a team of 22 elite swimmers to Florence, that has won the World Championship again, as well as broken world records and brought home medals of all colours.

Down Syndrome Australia posted on Facebook:

Team Australia has bought home the championship cup again in a stunning fourth day of competition! Loads of finals, medals, more world records and even the coaches relay team won and set a new world record! 

Team Captains Phoebe Mitchell and Stephen Donovan were exceptional on accepting the award and giving their speech in front of a huge crowd. 

Well done to all our swimmers and coaches. We are so proud of you.

You can send your congratulatory message via Down Syndrome Australia Swimming - Italy 2016  on Facebook