Decorated former Special Olympian Tammy Lane is a welcome addition to the team at the iconic Flying Fish Cafe.
After relocating from Adelaide with her newly retired parents, Tammy is putting her 15 years of experience at Hungry Jacks to good use in the kitchen; prepping food and serving meals for the kiosk and restaurant.
The beautiful Horseshoe Bay location is particularly special for Tammy and her family; it’s where her parents married 40 years ago.
Cafe manager Mel is impressed by Tammy’s hard work and friendly persona.
“It’s really great, we all get along really well with Tammy, we love having her.”
For Tammy, taking on challenges is nothing new.
Tammy represented Australia in rhythmic gymnastics at the Shanghai Special Olympics, after coming top nationally and at the Pan Pacific Games.
The talented athlete was presented with her third-place medal by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, and was also awarded the Channel Seven Sportsperson of the Year and the City of Mitcham Citizen of the Year.
Tammy has travelled the globe and is known as a bit of a daredevil, with a passion for caving, swimming, abseiling and climbing.
These days, Tammy prefers the pace of life on her family’s Hindmarsh Island off grid property, where she lives independently and enjoys cooking, walks with her dog, Izzy, and driving around in her 4WD Mule.
Tammy’s dad, Chris Lane, is not surprised by her success at Flying Fish Cafe, “She never says I can’t do that.”
Tammy has Down Syndrome and has been supported throughout her career by Barkuma’s Disability Employment Service (DES). She is the first person with disability to be employed at the cafe, which was recently acquired by a larger South Australian organisation that includes Packers, TreeClimb and North Point Toyota.
Micah, Tammy’s DES Key Worker, has provided invaluable support to Tammy. He regularly checks in with her and her manager Mel, as well as touching base with Tammy’s dad Chris. “He’s a good bloke,” says Tammy.
Flying Fish Cafe manager Mel couldn’t agree more.
“The support is amazing from Barkuma, but also enough to give Tammy independence so that she can work solo as well.
“They’re always checking in and making sure that she’s doing okay and we’re comfortable with everything.”
Barkuma’s Disability Employment Service (DES) is free and supports people with disability, from recruitment preparation to maintaining a job.
The Department of Social Services’ research shows that employing people with disability is good for business, with improved reliability, productivity and affordability.
Barkuma Employment is funded by the Federal Government, so there is no out of pocket expense for a business to utilise the service.
Prospective employers can learn more about Barkuma’s business solutions by phoning 8414 7100, emailing barkuma@barkuma.com.au or visiting barkuma.com.au/business-solutions/