As the Paralympics captivated audiences worldwide, one group of athletes remained noticeably absent – those with Down Syndrome.
Swimmer Taylor Hanson – known affectionately as ‘Chip’ – who lives with Down Syndrome and recently became a qualified swim instructor at Wollondilly Community Leisure Centre, is an athlete who dreams of one day representing his country on the Paralympic stage.
“My next goal is to make the Paraympics one day,” he told his mum Tracey after completing his swimming instructor qualification.
However, this dream remains out of reach due to the current Paralympic classification system which does not accommodate athletes with Down Syndrome.
Image via The Daily Telegraph
While athletes with intellectual disabilities can compete under certain classifications, these categories do not consider the specific physical and neurological challenges faced by individuals with Down syndrome.
According to Emily Caska, CEO of the Down Syndrome Institute, who spoke to The Daily Telegraph, “That essentially leaves athletes with Down Syndrome with no chance of qualifying against their peers who may have intellectual disability but no other physical impairments”.
Although local and national competitions in Australia have introduced S18 and S19 classifications for swimmers with Down Syndrome, these have yet to be adopted by the International Paralympic Committee, making it impossible for athletes like Chip to qualify for the Paralympics.
The Down syndrome community, along with supporters like Federal NDIS Minister Bill Shorten, is advocating for the inclusion of these classifications in the Paralympic Games.
“Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition in the world and one of the most recognisable disabilities, yet it is not included in the Paralympics,” Shorten said. “It’s time to reconsider their absence.”
“We need to fight for the next generation,” says Chip’s mum, echoing the hopes of many parents who want to see their children with Down Syndrome have the chance to represent their country.
In the meantime, athletes like Chip continue to train hard, dreaming of the day they will have the opportunity to compete on the world stage.
We are proud of you Chip and hope that one day, we will see you on the world stage doing what you love most!
Image via The Daily Telegraph
A petition has been launched on Change.org to rally support for the inclusion of Down Syndrome athletes in the Paralympics. You can learn more and support the petition here.
Read the original article via The Daily Telegraph here.
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