'Hype man' Walsh inspires inclusive footy growth

Author: Jacob Grams QRL community content producer
Timestamp: Thu 16 Mar 2023, 10:01 AM

If you ever need evidence of the power of one, Liam Walsh is your man.

The 26-year-old footy fan has inspired the expansion of all abilities rugby league to cater for more people in the Bundaberg area just through his enthusiasm and thirst to mentor young people so they know it’s okay to be different.

Walsh has an intellectual impairment and was never been able to play the game he loved so dearly until Walk With Me 4 Autism co-founder Sonya Olsen started the All Abilities Rugby League Experience.

The program won the Auswide Bank Community Program of the Year Award last year; nominations are now open for this year's awards.

Auswide Bank Community Program of the Year - All Abilities Rugby League Experience

The inaugural program was for children under the age of 15 but so influential was Liam from the hype he generated through to how he integrated with and mentored participating children, the program had to be changed to cater for an Open age group in 2023.

Walsh’s support worker, Todd Jamieson, knew the program would be perfect.

“I saw the ad on Facebook and thought it would be a good idea for Liam to give it a go, and I went from just being his support worker to helping run it,” Jamieson said.

“Having played footy I knew the environment and team morale and thought it would be a good culture that Liam could embrace.

“He loves watching it on TV. He’s a Wests Tigers fan and once he got a footy in his hands he brought up all these stories about playing touch football and rugby league at lunchtime or in the backyard with his family and got to play in a team, which was pretty cool.

“The sessions would start at 9am and Liam would be turning up at 8.30am, he’d be telling everyone about it, going on Facebook and telling people about the program. It was the highlight of his week. It’s kind of his community.

“He viewed himself as a role model to the kids and a bit of a ‘hype man’ who pumped up the kids. He calls himself Billy Slater, he reckons.”

Olsen said Walsh had “changed everyone’s outlook on life”.

“Liam is the reason we’re expanding and we’ve got other kids who did the program who will be 16, so if we cut it off at 15 we’d lose them too," Olsen said.

“They will go on and hopefully be our future mentors and league safes and maybe help the canteen and that’s what it’s about – boosting the longevity of our program.

“Our parents are very enthusiastic about how that’s going to look.”

The experience, which hopes to serve up to 120 players in 2023, has gone up from four to six weeks, split between Bundaberg and Gin Gin, following a come-and-try day in each location.

Olsen said having neurotypical children join also had a positive impact, educating them about “how our kids are different, but different is okay”.

“They’re going back to school and sticking up for our guys at school when other kids who don’t do our program try to give our kids a hard time,” Olsen said.

“We’re teaching the next generation of adults its ok to be different and we’re breaking down barriers one age group at a time.”

Olsen’s goal is to see every league in the state offering a similar program for all abilities players every year.