Deshan Walallavita expands his forte –  emerges runner-up at IHC Art Awards – By Clifford Lazarus

Gold-medallist at the Special Olympic World Games held in Abu Dhabi three years ago and now preparing for the Special Olympics National Summer Games in December, Deshan Walallavita wowed judges at the IHC Art Awards 2021 competition with his acrylic painting of a “Freisian Cow” to claim second prize.

The panel of judges comprised Judy Darragh renowned for her brightly coloured sculptural assemblages, collage, video, photography, and poster art who came to prominence in the 1980s; Paul Hartigan,  a well-known entity within contemporary New Zealand art whose successful career spans five decades and  Otis Frizzell, an artist with a diverse, irrepressible talent and colourful personality.

For the first three years of the IHC Art Awards, Deshan produced self-portraits and was knocking on the door of success repeatedly finishing within the top ten from over 400 entries.  However at the last competition Deshan changed tack and delivered the master-stroke with his acrylic painting ‘Friesian Cow’ to claim second place and prize money of $3,000/- in 2021.

A fourth-year student at Sandz Art Gallery, Maree Glass his tutor found him to be very conscientious and helpful.  “For the first three years of the competition Deshan produced self-portraits which are more subjective,  but on this occasion he did his research at home and came out with his winning entry of the ‘Freisian Cow’ – and it was a well deserved victory” says Maree who added that Deshan’s work can be viewed on Instagram @ sandz gallery nz instagram

The IHC Art Awards is an annual highlight, showcasing the talent and achievements of people with intellectual disabilities and affords them  the opportunity to have their talent recognised, their voices heard and to sell their work.

The Top 85 artworks which includes the first, second and third place winners, Youth Award and L’affare People’s Choice Award winners are auctioned on Trade Me and all proceeds credited to the winner’s personal account. 

Deshan loves the outdoors and enjoys playing cricket, rugby, soccer and basketball.  He is very creative and extremely organised.  Always health conscious, he enjoys cooking and attends weekly cookery classes and prepares the family meal on Saturdays.  Egged on by mum and sister, Sammanie, Deshan competed in  the “Eat Your Heart Out” Cookery Programme in 2020  and was awarded a “Certificate of Achievement” for competing and praised for sharing his wonderful culture with New Zealand.  He also won the Methodist City Auction “Top Cup Cake” Project Award 2019 for showing great focus and dedication towards his project work.

For  “A Day in Sri Lanka” celebrating the Sri Lankan New Year 2021, Deshan teamed up with Kushani Sarathchandra to provide the recipes.

Deshan is grateful to his mum and sister, Sammanie for their continuing support in helping him to enjoy life to the fullest.  

Deshan’s focus now is on the National Special Summer Olympics to be held in Hamilton in December.   The swimmer will be participating in 50m butterfly, individual medley and 100m freestyle.

Special Olympics co-ordinates the largest global health screening programme for people with intellectual disabilities.  It is also the largest regular sports event for people with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand. The Games typifies what the Special Olympics is all about – the joy of competing and the exhilaration of winning.

Every four years, hundreds of Special Olympics athletes from around New Zealand come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the true spirit of competition through summer sports.

In an incredible four-day event at the last National Special Summer Olympics held in Wellington in 2017, Deshan won Gold in 100m freestyle; 50m freestyle and 4x50m medley relay and placed fourth in the 100m individual medley.  Deshan swam in the last heat in all his events, swimming with the fastest athletes in the country!

In 2019 Deshan represented New Zealand at the Special Olympics World Games held in Abu Dhabi winning Gold  in the 50m butterfly event and two Silvers in 100m free-style and 4x50m medley relay.

Additionally Deshan won the  ‘Unbelievable Achievement’ award for being outstanding at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in 2013 and was adjudged “Sportsperson of the Year” in the same year.

According to Deshan’s teacher and swimming coach since 2008, Shelley Blair, she and volunteer coaches Nellie Harris, Robert Smith and Elaine McLeish do what they do because they believe in something bigger than themselves.  “We believe in these guys” … the athletes.  “They enrich our lives and they show that there are no barriers that are too high to climb over in being the best you can.”   Blair said they encourage and support one another in a way that reminds us about the real reason why we are on the planet.

“Deshan was always fond of the water, very confident and never afraid but it was Shelley Blair who guided him through.  He however did struggle with the breast stroke and was disqualified several times, but undeterred by these setbacks he strived to improve and is today an accomplished swimmer in all strokes” adds Sammanie.

Deshan is an amazing person says Shelley Blair.  “I started working with Deshan when he really wasn’t able to swim.   He needed a lot of one-on-one like hopping into the pool and teaching him to swim all these years.   What I see now in Deshan is probably one of the elite in the Special Olympics.  He is outstanding, I cannot praise him enough.  He does a lot of training independently and his times speak for themselves”.

Deshan, 26, was a student at Patricia Avenue’s Melville High School satellite unit since 2001.  

Patricia Avenue School is a specialist school working with children and young people who have intellectual disabilities.  The school provides education which enhances the students’ learning, builds on their needs and respects their dignity.  This education challenges them to achieve personal standards of excellence and reach their full potential.  The school also ensures that each student has the opportunity to access a holistic education to meet their social, intellectual, physical and emotional needs.  Main focus is to provide a wonderful experience for students in the classrooms and offering quality and a productive learning environment for every student.  All students have the opportunity to learn and play in a variety of different ways.

The family credits Patricia Avenue School, his teacher and swimming coach, Shelly Blair for Deshan’s success and since taking  part in the Special Olympics, Deshan has matured, learnt to socialize and started to vocalize and express himself more.

Special Olympics has an inclusive family feel to it and is focused so much on personal achievement and enjoyment regardless of disability.

By participating in such programmes the individuals do not take as much medication as they used to and do not sit at home playing video games but after participating in such activities they are more active and in some cases take significantly less medication.

Special Olympics New Zealand (the accredited body for Special Olympics International) co-ordinates the National Summer Games every  four years as part of its competition pathway for athletes that have an intellectual disability.  The goals of this event reflect the way New Zealand strives to further the commitments to its community. 

For the forthcoming National Summer Games in December,  Deshan is certain to go up another level.  His work ethic is unbelievable and he is likely to achieve personal best times. He is outstanding both as a sportsman and friend and he is absolutely inspiring.

Winning entry of Freisian Cow