About this Short Film
No description available for this film.
Film Details
Country:
Australia
State:
Australian Capital Territory
Category:
Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre:
Personal Story
Festival Year:
2026
Filmmaker:
Moira Maloney
Film Transcript
Hi, my name's Moira. I'm Joe Maloney's sister and I've been supporting Joe for the past 13 years after the passing of our mother. Joe is 50 years old, born in 1975. When it comes to supporting Joe, I've struggled to find role models, older people with Down syndrome, showing what ageing well can look like. So, I want to share what's worked for us, not because it's perfect, but because it's real and perhaps it can help others.
Joe plays golf and pickle ball regularly. At first, I admired how flexible he looked, especially on the golf course. But what I was actually seeing wasn't flexibility. It was ligament laxity. Ligament laxity is very common in people with Down syndrome. It means their joints move beyond their normal range. Combined with low muscle tone, this can affect balance, coordination, and increase fatigue and the risk of falls. Everyday movements — standing up, walking upstairs, staying steady — can take much more effort. And without support, confidence and independence can slowly slip away.
There was a time where Joe started to lose muscle tone. I was worried he was sick. I took him to several doctors trying to understand what was happening. What I learned was it was muscular atrophy, something that can happen to people with Down syndrome at a much younger age. And that was a turning point for me. Muscular atrophy can happen faster for people with Down syndrome. So while strength training is important for all of us, it is especially important for people with Down syndrome.
That's why we started Joe at Kiza. It's strength training guided by physiootherapy designed to build muscles safely and support joints. For Joe, it's about posture, stability, and learning to move with control. One, two, three. In control, Joe. How's that feeling for you? Uh, great. Good.
People with Down syndrome often have reduced muscle strength and coordination, which can make physical activity harder, leading to inactivity. Inactivity can cause muscle loss and increased injury risk. Since starting strength training, Joe has made significant improvements. His strength, balance and coordination have all improved. His walking is steadier, his posture is stronger, and just as importantly, his confidence has grown.
But ageing well isn't just about exercise. It's about connection. Golf and pickle ball aren't just sports for Joe. They're community, his people. They build coordination, balance and reaction time. But they also give him something just as vital: belonging, purpose and routine.
When strength, balance and community come together, ageing looks different. It looks confident. It looks connected. It looks possible. I believe in building a path for those coming behind us. As Maryanne Williamson most famously said, "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." And if sharing Joe's journey helps others imagine what's possible, then it's a path worth sharing.
Filmmaker
Moira Maloney is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Moira Maloney.
?
0 comments
