Inspirational children and adults with disabilities have taken part in an annual triathlon in Newcastle.
The Reason To Disability Triathlon was held at David Lloyd Club and Paddy Freeman’s Park on Sunday, June 25, and saw participants compete in swimming, running and cycling using specially adapted equipment. This year's event, sponsored by SOS Group, was the biggest one yet with around 50 people, aged nine plus, taking part.
Professional triathlete, Dan Dixon, from Morpeth, was in attendance at the event and presented participants with medals during a ceremony at the end of the day. The triathlon is organised by triathletes, Jo Shalcross and Tracey Sample, who opened the event to older entrants last year.
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“When this started it was just for a few children that I coached and then I realised there was such a need for it," Jo said.
"Tracey came on board and we started to grow it together as a team. It’s a huge community now and very special because when the competitors come together you can see the friendships that have grown over the years.
“To do a triathlon is a real challenge for them because of the tiredness levels they often experience. So, they could go out for a swim and that would finish them off for the day but you’re asking them to swim, bike and run.
“So, it is an enormous challenge, but we’ve set it up well so they go in waves and have a break between each one with time to re-energise and get a drink.”
She added: "You can compete in sport individually and get a buzz out of that but competing with friends is a whole new experience and maybe one our competitors don’t normally get. We can give them the same kind of enjoyment we have as athletes and it’s very obvious today how much they have all enjoyed it.”
Rosie Bell, 15, from Ponteland, has cerebral palsy and dystonia and said she competed in the triathlon to prove that disability will not hold her back from achieving her goals.
“It’s to prove a point that even though we are disabled we all can do a triathlon," she said.
"I’ve always been like that. I don’t like the fact that we can’t do things. We can, but adapted, we can still do it.
“It’s not the activity that really matters. It’s all these kids together as a community to do something that they can do and that’s amazing.”
