Mumbai, Feb 8: Australia's Christine Casey is not the only blind woman player participating in the ongoing World Cup for the blind people in India. Donna McCaskill is the other blind woman playing with the boys for the New Zealand team.
The other interesting facts about Donna are : (1) her two sons, Deacan Dunn, aged 15, and Marquele McCaskill 18, are also participating in the blind World Cup. (2) She is a "bachelor mother". (Yes, you read right).
"I am not married", she confirmed. Then how two sons? "Oh, it just happened.... The boy-friend is not with me now", the 37-year old mother added.
All three- the mother and two sons fall in B3 category.
In fact, she is not the mother of only these two young sons of her team but she also looks after other team members when not in the final eleven. "I prepare drinks for the team-members, hand-over food packets, help them to wash their hands and provide physiotherapy treatment to them whenever needed".
"My younger son (Deacan) is a school student and Marquele studies at the University. It is exciting to play with them", she says.
She works for the Blind Foundation in Palnell, Auckland and also a president of the New Zealand Blind Cricket Association. Having spent more than 20 years as part of the blind and low vision sports community, last year she joined the Blind Sport New Zealand Board of Directors.
Few years ago she had to plead her case at the AGM in South Africa, because few countries protested at women on the mens blind team. She, however had won the case and is now one of the key members of the New Zealand Blind team.
"I love challenges and blindness is nowhere a barrier", she signed off.
