Burdon: Adapting disabilities into sport doesn’t need to be hard
The adaptive course at Challenge Wanaka was only a minor modification from the course used for the other categories. Add in plenty of willing hands of support and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Nathan Burdon is a former sports editor at The Southland Times who now works in communications in the sports sector.
I was helping out at Challenge Wanaka a couple of weeks ago and got to see first hand the value the inclusion of an adaptive event can have.
Not just for the 28 participants - some who had travelled from as far as Christchurch to take part - but for all the supporters, and those watching on with genuine joy as those young people tested themselves.
Sure, once the nervousness of getting into a chilly Lake Wanaka had passed, the young people had a ball, but that sense of inspiration was infectious for everyone involved.
After watching these young people with a variety of physical and intellectual abilities complete the swim, bike and run, one of the teachers involved told me the sense of achievement from taking part in this event is something they can refer back to when faced with any challenge in life.
My biggest takeaway, however, was that it doesn’t actually need to be that hard. The adaptive course at Challenge Wanaka was only a minor modification from the course used for the other youth categories during the week. Add plenty of willing hands to support and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Meanwhile, a movement aimed at creating more opportunities for young people with disabilities to take part in physical activity has quietly been gaining momentum in Southland over the past 18 months.
Invercargill woman Kerryn Douglas, whose son Connor went on to become a top para-cyclist after suffering a serious head injury, has been a leader in this space and has been supported by a small but passionate group which has become known as Inclusive Activity Murihiku, or iAM.
A collaboration between iAM, the Y Southland and Active Southland - supported by three years of funding from Sport New Zealand - has seen a number of new opportunities across active recreation and sport created, tested and trialled.
Each new activation has been a learning experience for both the young people taking part, their supporters and the organisations providing the opportunity.
Sport New Zealand’s support and the Government’s Disability Inclusion Fund has helped fund a Disability and Inclusion Advisor, with Chris Knight now well established in a role which is new for Southland.
While Chris is better known for having filled just about every role in local athletics from competitor to coach to Athletics Southland chair, he also has a strong belief that sport should be for everyone.
“I am really excited about the challenges ahead because I know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s something I am passionate about,” Chris said soon after taking up the job.
“I have always wanted everyone to have an opportunity to be involved in sport, no matter their ability.”
Ask anyone who knows, and they’ll tell you that the disability sector is a complex one.
Combined with the knowledge that current funding is guaranteed until 2024 and it’s meant those helping to drive this work forward need to be strategic and specific about their goals.
That has meant having an initial focus on young people (up to 24 years) with physical disabilities. It includes working with others, such as regional sports organisations, to build their capability and confidence with inclusion. Rugby Southland has been an enthusiastic early adopter, joining Active Southland to deliver a pilot programme at Aurora College and James Hargest College this term.
“The big thing is that it doesn’t need to be difficult. Adapting to the needs of the athlete is just good coaching, regardless of who you are coaching,” Chris says.
“Our goal is to make ourselves redundant in the future. When sports and other physical activity providers have inclusion as part of their everyday approach, there won’t be a need for this role, and that will be great.”
Another exciting initiative being planned for Southland for later in the year is a multi-day inclusive event similar to the Halberg Games.
The iAM Games will be a first for Southland and will be aimed at youth from five to 24, with physical or intellectual disabilities, neuro-diverse or vision impaired.
It’s likely to bring people into the region, it will be a lot of fun and if what I saw at Challenge Wanaka is anything to go by, it will be truly inspirational for those involved and those watching on.
If you would like to find out more or would like to get involved in providing more opportunities for Southlanders with disabilities to be active, check out the iAM Facebook page or email chris@activesouthland.co.nz