History maker! ACC No Limits Athletics Classification

The ACC is a strong supporter of Inclusive Sport for students with disabilities and has conducted programs in this area since 1997. History was made today at the E Division Carnival with the first ever disability classified event in the T35 100m and 400m. This was part of our No Limits program for students with disabilities where we are encouraging SWD students to get formally classified with Athletics WA and Swimming WA, so that they can compete at ACC carnivals in their own classification and alongside their peers.

This is a first for any school sports association in WA and we hope that there will be many more students that take up the opportunities now available under our No Limits program. There will be more SWD students competing at carnivals next week as part of the program. The performance of each classified SWD student is compared to the world standards for the classification and a % ranking is calculated. Across all the ACC divisional carnivals if there are any other students that compete in the same event and classification, then their results will be compared and a winner selected. If there is only one student in that event classification then they will be declared the winner. The SWD students’ performance does not count towards the overall team points at the carnival unless the athlete was competing as both a  classified athlete and divisional athlete. 

The winner of the T35 events today was Marthinus Van Der Merwe from Kingsway Christian College. It was an inspiring moment today to see this young man giving his all on the track. Through his actions today he exemplified the spirit and inclusiveness of our Association and  gave us all a wonderful example of true leadership. His performances have been officially recoded in the E Div carnival results and displayed on the web site as per any other athletics event. As the inaugural winner of the U16 T35 100m and 400m, Marthinus now holds the official ACC record in this event. Following the series of carnivals if therecord still stands, then the record will be added to the official ACC Athletics Records.  Marthinus also now qualifies to compete at the All Schools State Athletics Championships in October and we wish him well if he takes up that challenge