Emily Preketes-Ashley and husband Paul Ashley, stunned the United States audience while performing at the World Latin Dance Cup in Orlando, Florida earlier today.
Following a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe, Paul and Emily raised enough funds to travel across the ocean and represent Australia in the Wheelchair category.
Not only did they give an exquisite performance, but they also stole the hearts of the judges nailing second place.
The duo from Kingsgrove first took up wheelchair dancing when preparing for their wedding dance in 2016 but have come a long way since.
The loved-up couple took their passion for Latin to the next level training like athletes and competing in international events with the help of a personal dance instructor who choreographs wheelchair compatible dance routines.
“To translate the choreography to wheelchair dancing, it’s kind of not that difficult, sometimes it is and we have to practice more and more to get it right, but it’s pretty easy to pick it up,” Emily said before leaving for Florida.
“He [the instructor] teaches us what he knows and then what we can do with dancing, and we push and spin around and do some movements with our hands.”
For Greek-Australian Emily, competing is not a new thing as she is a long-time para athlete, having grown-up playing wheelchair basketball; she also competes in long and short distance wheelchair races.
“It is really important for people in wheelchairs to practice sports and dancing. I think its really good for them so people in wheelchairs can be active and move around a lot more,” she stressed.
“Other people can walk around and do what they want to do so it’s a bit harder for people in wheelchairs but we just act normal. We’re normal people like everyone else and so we just want to be active and move around a lot more.”
Meanwhile, husband and co-athlete Paul said he had been practicing wheelchair sports since the age of nine, as he always wanted to be involved in sporting activities, something that his school environment made hard.
“I’ve competed in wheelchair track and road racing, as well as wheelchair basketball, swimming and rowing,” he says, adding that he has represented NSW and Australia in each of these sports, an experience that also has allowed him to travel all over the world.
”I like to always say that life doesn’t slow down or stop just because you are in a wheelchair, it certainly hasn’t slowed me down, if you have dreams or goals, just get out there and follow those dreams and goals and have fun doing so.”
It is this spirit that both Emily and Paul carry which helps them pursue their goals regardless of their disability.
“My motto in life is ‘my ability is stronger than my disability,” enthuses Emily.
“I think everyone with a disability or in a wheelchair are stronger than they think and anything they want to achieve in life, they can get there no matter what.”
And they have many a win to prove it!