18-year-old Georgie Beasley loves sport – you name it, she’s probably done it. Snowboarding, jet skiing, surfing, basketball, and netball, these are just a few activities this independent young woman enjoys.
She’s just moved to Perth having grown up in Esperance. Georgie’s using the youth services provided by VisAbility as she adjusts into city life.
I’m really excited about this new chapter in my life, city living offers so much more for a teenager like me, Esperance is too quiet. I’m looking forward to new opportunities I’ll find here.
Georgie Beasley
Georgie’s journey on social media
Georgie was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative eye condition,
Stargardts disease, in 2013.
“I began struggling to read the board at school and now I have only minor peripheral vision, so I can only see up to a metre away,” she says.
Social media posts recount Georgie’s journey. She has attracted nearly a thousand followers on Instagram and on her Facebook page ‘One Less Sense (link opens in new window)’. Her active, independent life has also been highlighted in teen magazines.
“I enjoy writing and reading and I want people to be more aware of my situation. I’m always looking at ways so I can do things, rather than accepting I can’t. A lot of it is about mindset.”
Georgie’s mode of transport in Esperance was two wheels.
I rode everywhere in Esperance by electric bike and I’ll be using that in Perth too. I don’t get fazed easily, I rode motorbikes as a child so I am a bit of a daredevil.
Georgie Beasley
Embracing city life
Georgie undertook an independent solo trip in Melbourne to prepare her for life in Perth.
“To get to know the city, I took pictures on my mobile phone to guide me through Melbourne so I didn’t get lost.”
Ryan Honschooten, Youth Support Officer at VisAbility, says Georgie has boundless energy and is sure to enjoy Perth life.
“When Georgie has a plan she sticks to it. It’s great to see her confidence and enthusiasm, she’s sure to settle quickly and hopefully go on to achieve her ambition of becoming a social worker,” he says.
Georgie is more than half-way through a trial at Perth’s Lion’s Eye Institute (link opens in new window) where scientists have been growing her stem cells as part of a long-term study to find a cure.
“I am naturally quite outgoing, so do come and say hello to me if you spot me at the beach or at the shops. If you follow me on social media you’ll find out more about what I’m doing.”
Talk to the Youth Services team at VisAbility if you’d like to know more about how we can help young people with vision impairment.