Youngsters proved nothing could hold them back at a special triathlon.
Held at the David Lloyd Club in Newcastle on 14th September 2014, the Children's Disability Triathlon was a huge sucess. The children, who had a range of disabilities including cerebal palsy, down syndrome and dyspraxia, all finished the event which was totaly inclusive.
Children chose to swim between 25m and 100m, cycle 2km or 4km and run between 300m and 1km depending on capability.
All of the children were so inspiring. Many cannot walk at all without aid and are normaly confined to wheelchairs to get about. Despite this they ditched their wheels for the "run" and with a variety of walking aids, made it round to finish with the biggest smiles ever seen.
The event was to give the competitors confidence in what they can achieve but was also used to raise money for their physiotherapy treatment with the charity Heel and Toe. Donations can still be made at https://www.justgiving.com/DisabilityTri
Josef Craig MBE, paralympic swimmer who has cerebal palsy himself, was on had throughout the day to help with the swimming and give out the the all important medals at the end.
The feedback from parents was that the medals were still being worn by the chidren when they went to bed and all were taking them to school on Monday. Tracey Sample,Triathlon England's North East Participation Coach of the Year 2013 heard a number of the children comment "it was the best day ever".
The event was brainchild of the youngsters’ personal trainer Jo Shallcross, a triathlete who runs The Barn in Ponteland.
She said: “It’s all about making sure the kids have an amazing day and letting them see that anything is possible.
“When I first mentioned doing a triathlon, a few people said the kids wouldn’t be able to do it. But, they can, and it’s a huge sense of achievement for them.”
All the competitors want to do it again and there is definately room in the triathlon calendar for more inclusive events which prove children can achieve so much more than what they think they are capable.
Chronicle newspaper's coverage of the event:
