The Art of Training

Sam Valavanis, one of our A List Ambassadors , shares his love of trains!

We all have our favourite things that we love to do whenever we get the chance.

For some, it may be shopping. For others, it might be going to a theme park and riding roller coasters. (I personally love both.)

But for me, one of my favourite things to do, especially close to home, is ride trains. Not just trains, but almost any form of public transport. And yes, living in Melbourne, that includes trams as well.

As an autistic person, I have loved trains my whole life. This goes back to my childhood when I loved watching Thomas the Tank Engine (I still do) and playing with the characters in toy form, which I still collect today.

Being blind as well as autistic, I have learned to tell different train engines apart from one another. This is a skill my dad helped me develop before I lost my vision at the age of four.

As I grew older, I began using the Melbourne train system during camps with Guide Dogs Victoria, and I instantly fell in love. (Yes, my first love was probably trains!)

A year later, I took my first recreational train trip with my dad. We travelled into the city, explored different places, did lots of fun things, and returned home that evening.

It’s a day I will always remember and credit as the beginning of a tradition. Every six to twelve months, we would go on our own little city adventures together.

When I travel on trains, I feel a strong sense of happiness and excitement. Trains have brought me joy for as long as I can remember, and I love being able to experience them in my home city.

More recently, I have started travelling independently on trains. This is mainly for university and my volunteer role at a radio station in the city, but also to catch up with friends whenever I can.

Travelling independently brings an even greater sense of happiness. I get to exercise my independence, make my own travel decisions, and do something I have been working toward for many years. It allows me the same level of independence that many others my age experience.

I am very knowledgeable about Melbourne’s train and tram systems, so when I’m travelling on my own, I sometimes take longer routes, changing at multiple stations or stops just to experience more trains and trams. I only do this when I’m not on a tight schedule.

My parents sometimes worry when they hear about this, but I always reassure them that I only do it at stations and stops I know well, and that I ask for help whenever I need it.

For me, it adds excitement to the journey and helps me build my planning and practical skills. It also becomes a real-world learning experience.

I know many other autistic people share a love of trains and trams, but I’m not sure how many have similar habits when travelling independently. I’d love to find out!

Sam x

Sam Valavanis is an A List Ambassador – find out more about our A List Ambassadors

See more from Sam on his Facebook page .