A game table gifted to a Bendigo primary school is getting one of its pupils back in the swing of sport.
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St Monica's School student Ella Edwards, 12, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, leaving her with no vision or light perception.
But Swish, a type of table tennis designed for people with vision impairment, has leveled the playing field between Ella and her peers.
Like ping pong, Swish players stand at opposite ends of a table, but hit a tennis-sized ball along the surface and under a net.
Bells inside the ball mean players can hear its trajectory along the table.
"It means I can play with all the children," Ella said.
"There's no advantage or disadvantage.
It's not like tiggy where I just get caught or can't catch anyone."
When the school’s Swish table was damaged in storm weather this year, Men’s Shed Bendigo members came to the rescue, constructing a new, water-resistant model.
Group members Terry Egan and Walter Wood delivered the table to St Monica's on Thursday morning, even trying their hand at Swish for the first time.
Mr Egan, who wore a blindfold to take on Ella, described the experience as "terrifying".
"It's very hard to hear where the ball is going, and judge your swing," he said.
“I’m just glad it will bring Ella and her classmates so much pleasure.”
Also grateful for the shed’s generosity is Vanessa Craig, the learning support officer who has been by Ella’s side since she started at St Monica’s as a prep student.
Ms Craig said the grade six girl was an asset to her school community, teaching other students about her experience of vision impairment.
"She just such an engaging young lady who is willing to try everything," she said.
“We’ll all miss her when she graduates.”
But before she finishes, Ella is excited to challenge her classmates to more Swish matches, quietly confident she has their measure.
“Sometimes I lose the games, but not very often,” she said, laughing.
“And if they’re blindfolded, I win 99.9 per cent of the time."
Men’s Shed Bendigo welcomes new visitors to their Cunneen Street headquarters every weekday morning, while vision-impaired Bendigonians can try their hand at Swish every second Thursday afternoon in the St Andrew's Uniting Church hall.
