Good News – April, 2024
[Image ID - White text reads “Good News - April 2024” on a green background overlaid on top of an image of two participants and a referee playing football.]
Gold Coast Marathon to Have First-ever 4k Wheelchair Race
Exciting news for aspiring wheelchair athletes, the Gold Coast Marathon is set to feature a 4km Wheelchair Race this year. The event will be the first-ever under-10km wheelchair race to be held in Australia.
Garth Plank, the founder of disability support group Mentor 4 Me is happy to see the inclusion of a 4km race at the Gold Coast Marathon. He believes the shorter event can be the perfect way for beginners to start their wheelchair racing journey.
“For four years, I have advocated for a pathway event for junior and beginner wheelchair athletes at the Gold Coast Marathon. Previously, only a 15km and then a 10km event was available for those over 12 years old. These distances were too challenging for new athletes entering the sport. Being able to complete that distance for many seemed like climbing a mountain and unachievable,” Plank noted.
The timing of the introduction of the entry-level race could not have been better. The Paris Paralympics are just around the corner and the buzz around the event is building up. This will help attract more participants to para-sports. “The inception of the 4km Wheelchair Race at this year's Gold Coast Marathon is amazing and timely as the Paris Paralympics are being held in August. This gives athletes a pathway to both the 10km and marathon events,” Plank echoed the sentiment.
The 4km Wheelchair Race will be held on July 6, ahead of the Wheelchair 10km and Marathon events on July 7. Interested participants can register for the event on goldcoastmarathon.com.au
[Image ID - A promotional image for the Gold Coast Marathon 4km wheelchair race. Featured is a woman crossing the finish line in her wheelchair with a banner in front of her, while other marathon runners look on. There is text in the top right that reads '“Join the wheelchair 4km. Start your racing wheelchair journey this July!”. There is also text at the bottom that reads “Join the wheelchair 4km race” with the same link for more information underneath]
Australian Wheelchair Fencing Team
As we enter the Paralympic year, there have been 3 regional Wheelchair Fencing Championships held. These events are across Europe, the Americas and Asia. For the first time, Australia competed at the WAS Asian Zonals in Bangkok from April 24th to 28th. Sam Blade, a member of the Australian Wheelchair Fencing team, expressed his excitement for this milestone.
“As we head into the championships, our emotions are a mix of excitement and anticipation,” Sam said, “This venture into unknown territory is daunting, yet thrilling, as we aim to not just participate, but excel and perhaps even surprise ourselves with our capabilities.”
The team have taken this opportunity to open doors for future para-fencers in the community. This ensures they make their mark in the sport and on the international stage.
“It's an honor to be part of this historic journey, and as we step onto the international stage, we do so with the hope and determination to showcase the strength and talent of Australian para-fencing.”
For more information about wheelchair fencing in Australia, visit https://nswfencing.org.au/wheelchair-fencing/
Sebastian Petrovich Leading the Charge as Victoria’s only International Blind Football Referee
Sebastian Petrovich was first introduced to Blind Football 10 years ago. He was so impressed by how the players moved around the court that he immediately wanted to get involved. That is when he decided to work towards being a referee.
To build his referring experience, Petrovich started refereeing indoor futsal. However, he finds refereeing Blind Football games to be more challenging and rewarding. “You have to be aware of situations and always be switched on,” he said to Football Victoria.
Petrovich got his first international experience in 2019, refereeing in the Japan National Blind Football (B1) Championships. Since then, he has decided to use his experience to grow the game in Australia.
The first-ever National Blind Football match was held at Tullamarine in 2022. While Petrovich is training another all-abilities referee, he needs more help for running the 2024 edition. “We need six people there working together as a team to make sure we get the game going, we only have two, so we need more,” he said.
Those interested in volunteering or referring can send an email to allabilities@footballvictoria.com.au. No experience is required.
Blind and Vision Impaired Football is part of Football Victoria’s All-Abilities April. The showcase month covers a range of programs to make the sport accessible and welcoming to all players with a disability.
[Image ID - Sebastian Petrovich leaning down, holding a football in between two participants with blindfolds on. They are on a turf field in an indoor stadium.]
Newcastle’s Dan Burn widely praised for sign language goal celebration
Dan Burn, captain of Newcastle United FC, has won the hearts of football fans around the world. In their match against Tottenham Hotspur FC, Burn signed ‘Love the fans’ to deaf fans mid-celebration.
Deaf fans who met Burn and teammate, Kieran Trippier, taught them how to sign ‘Love the fans’ in BSL before the game. Using it in a key moment in the game signified a thank you to the fans who had taught them how to sign.
Deaf fans could wear shirts to the match that transformed the sound around them into vibrations. This allowed the fans to have a more sensory experience of the game. Sela, the club’s kit sponsor, assisted with the creation of these vibrating shirts for deaf fans.
Along with this, they gave up their name on the Newcastle jerseys to make way for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID). This gave deaf fans the chance to feel more recognised.
Read the full story here
London Marathon: Runner with Down’s syndrome gets youngest record
The London Marathon was once again held on April 21st, 2024. This year, a young man named Lloyd Martin completed the marathon. He has now broken the record for the youngest person to complete the marathon in the intellectual impairment category.
Lloyd began training with his mum, Ceri Hooper, only 5 months ago. Up until that point, he had completed more than 30 runs, however, going no further than 5 kilometres each time. Due to this, Ceri included a weekly long run in his training to prepare Lloyd to be on his feet for hours. During the marathon, he ran 22.5 kilometres, being the longest distance he had ever run.
Upon completing this marathon, he was awarded a certificate from the Guinness World Records. His achievement is very important for people with Down’s Syndrome. It shows that you can achieve anything you put your mind to.
Read the full BBC story here
