WORTHY CHALLENGE
TOWNSVILLE hosts a major sports event over the next two days where all of the more than 1000 competitors will be hailed as winners.
Now in its 26th year, the Challenge Games is designed especially for children with a disability and has a proud history of making all involved feel special.
Challenge Games chair Lynne Derry said promoting inclusivity from an early age had lifelong benefits for the kids involved.
“We’ve got to get past that idea that people with a disability can’t do these things because they can, we’re trying to get these kids out into the community,” she said.
“Often when they finish school they don’t get the opportunities for a job and just stay at home, so at least if they’re involved in sport they have a club to go to and mix with people, and that opens up opportunities too.”
There are two parts to the sporting games, for some it’s all about the enjoyment factor and meeting other kids just like them. For others there can be a more serious side with the para trials events, which act as a pathway to bigger sporting events such as the schools state championships.
More than 1000 children from Townsville, Mount Isa, Mackay and Cairns have registered to participate in 9000 events, all open to kids with varying conditions.
Ms Derry said it was not about coming first on the day but the pride that comes with competing.
“We don’t have a lot of first, second and thirds because a lot of the kids competing in the same event are different categories, some might have physical disabilities versus an intellectual impairment, so they’re all actually winners,” she said.
Paula Clarke knows all about the sense of pride the games instils after seeing the change in her 12-year-old daughter Jasmin, who has high functioning autism.
“I think she’s come out of her shell a lot in that she feels comfortable in communicating with people because that is a big barrier for people with autism,” she said.
Ms Clarke said the games were just as important for parents and carers. The Challenge Games will be held at the Townsville Sports Reserve and is open to the public.