Over 500 students from 17 Gold Coast schools ran their hearts out in the 35th Annual Invitational Athletics Championships for Children with Disability at the Runaway Bay Performance Centre.
It’s the Gold Coast’s premier Special Olympics event, which made a spectacular return this year after a two-year coronavirus-enforced break.
Athletes competed in running and wheelchair races from 50m to 400m with teams taking part in a testing Sports Skills Challenge.
The event initially started with three Special schools three and a half decades ago and has now grown to boast over 400 events.
“We have children in wheelchairs competing against others in wheelchairs, we have age categories from 5–7-year-old children to 16 to 18-year-olds who get a great opportunity to compete in sport,” Gold Coast Sport and Recreation CEO Anna-Louise Kassulke told myGC.
“It allows every child to compete against people of their own ability”.
The sports carnival is also one of the Coast’s most colourful, with the mascots from the Gold Coast football codes all part of the fun.
“For the families and carers, to be able to see their children take part and have fun, that’s really what it’s all about,” Ms Kassulke said.
People wanting more information on the sport and other services provided by Gold Coast Sport and Recreation can visit Gold Coast Recreation and Sport Inc – Providing recreation and sport for people with a disability (gcrs.com.au).
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