Meet the Empower Project Co-designers
Amy Tobin
Gold Coast
Amy Tobin is a passionate advocate for inclusion and access in sport and community life. Based on the Gold Coast, she lives with cerebral palsy and dystonia and uses an electric wheelchair — but refuses to let that define her.
A qualified social welfare practitioner, Amy is currently completing a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and a Master of Disability and Inclusion. She’s also a trailblazer in frame running, becoming the first Australian — and first person globally with a T71 classification — to complete a marathon, three times. Through EMPOWER, she champions the belief that “ordinary isn’t very extraordinary.”
Ben Noonan
Gold Coast
Ben is a dedicated advocate for disability inclusion and a passionate athlete in the wheelchair basketball and sailing community. He is actively involved with the Gold Coast Rollerblaze Wheelchair Basketball Sports Club, contributing to the team’s development and fostering a supportive environment for athletes with disabilities. In addition to his sporting commitments, Ben has volunteered at Sailability Gold Coast for over ten years.
Ben is an active member of the Queensland Disability Network (QDN), engaging in roles such as delivering presentations on Disability Awareness and providing consulting services. Through his dual roles in sports, advocacy, and community leadership, Ben strives to create meaningful opportunities for people with disability and to raise awareness about the importance of inclusion in all areas of society.
Brenton Koch
Cairns
Brenton has been passionate about sports since he was young because it brings people together and creates a community where individuals from diverse backgrounds and skills connect, understand, and compete. After an incident left him feeling hopeless and unable to participate as he once did, the support of loved ones and meeting others with disabilities made him realise there was still hope.
This eye-opener taught Brenton that despite his condition, he can still achieve so much and should not limit himself. Brenton’s purpose now is to motivate and inspire people, especially those with disabilities, to become healthier, live life fully, and maintain a positive outlook despite challenges, reminding them they are not alone.
Janelle Colquhoun
Brisbane
Living with Type 1 diabetes since age 10, Janelle had a successful career as an international opera singer, until aged 29 she went blind. Experiencing many more diabetes complications, she became a passionate health consumer advocate and lobbyist, and has subsequently been on over 50 health and disability committees and research projects, and travel the world as a guest speaker.
In 2017 she took up blind archery, which has seen her compete nationally and internationally and hold the title of Australian Indoor and Outdoor Champion for a number of years.
Jody Van Heerden
Brisbane
Jody has a 16-year-old son who is profoundly deaf and uses a wheelchair or walker for mobility. Coming from a sporting family, Jody tried to ensure her son had access to sports and other recreational activities, which made her acutely aware of the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities. Jody is involved in the EMPOWER program because she is passionate about advocating for and educating people on inclusion and access. This is essential for creating a more equitable society.
It involves breaking down barriers that impact individuals with disabilities. By educating people on how to be inclusive and provide access, we can create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported in all areas of life, including sports and recreation.
Kim Abbott
Toowoomba
Living with Type 1 diabetes since age 10, Janelle had a successful career as an international opera singer, until aged 29 she went blind. Experiencing many more diabetes complications, she became a passionate health consumer advocate and lobbyist, and has subsequently been on over 50 health and disability committees and research projects, and travel the world as a guest speaker.
In 2017 she took up blind archery, which has seen her compete nationally and internationally and hold the title of Australian Indoor and Outdoor Champion for a number of years.
Sara-Ashlee Tait
Gold Coast
Sara-Ashlee Tait is a 27 year old and an elite para-athlete and passionate advocate for disability inclusion, with a lifelong connection to sport. Born with Spina Bifida and a wheelchair user, she has been involved in adaptive sport from a young age—representing Australia in wheelchair racing, basketball, and paratriathlon. In 2015, she won two world titles and later competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. More recently, Sara-Ashlee has taken up para-rowing, winning gold at the 2024 and 2025 National Championships. Her lived experience and sporting background have shaped her commitment to making sport and public spaces more accessible for people with disability.
Being part of the QDN Empower Co-Design Project is an exciting opportunity to share her perspective and help drive real change. Sara-Ashlee is looking forward to contributing to more inclusive, empowering environments where everyone can participate fully.
Ben Haack
Gold Coast
Living with Type 1 diabetes since age 10, Janelle had a successful career as an international opera singer, until aged 29 she went blind. Experiencing many more diabetes complications, she became a passionate health consumer advocate and lobbyist, and has subsequently been on over 50 health and disability committees and research projects, and travel the world as a guest speaker.
In 2017 she took up blind archery, which has seen her compete nationally and internationally and hold the title of Australian Indoor and Outdoor Champion for a number of years.
Empower Co-Designers in Action
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