A group of 13 adults with disabilities are preparing to trek down to Melbourne this weekend to tackle the Melbourne Marathon.
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It will be the first time the contingent of clients has entered the marathon.
All competitors have a range of physical, intellectual and complex disabilities. The trip has been organised by local disability service Scope.
Competitor Tamati Poindestre has cerebral palsy and will compete in a motorised wheelchair.
He and the rest of the group wanted to challenge the stereotype of a ‘fun run’ participant.
“We just see it as being about ability, not disability,” he said.
The group is tackling the 3km course, which begins Melbourne’s CBD and finishes at the MCG.
If it proves successful Mr Poindestre said the group would move on to more ambitious races.
Fellow competitor Jye Yates said the group were considering entering the Heathcote Fun Run, which is scheduled for early next year.
He said at a future race he might leave his wheelchair and walk the final 200 metres. However for the moment he was content simply to find out what a race course involved.
“We definitely want to do more physically challenging races one day,” Mr Poindestre said.
Mr Yates said the idea to enter the marathon came about after they heard about Melbourne’s Ben Hill, who last year competed in the 10km race using a motorised wheelchair.
Scope volunteer organiser Neville Stone said that although marathon running initially began as an idea to encourage people living with disability to engage in active living, it had become a window of empowerment and opportunity.
“In every single one of them, I’ve seen an unbelievable growth in their confidence and decision-making skills,” he said.
“They’ve all developed a mindset where they believe they can achieve anything. They independently figure out what their goals are and they take the actions necessary to accomplish it.
“It’s a massive development. It’s truly incredible.”
Ben Hill, who is once again participating in the 10km course is aiming to walk the final lap without the use of his wheelchair is incredibly proud of the group.
“It just goes to show that you don’t have to be an athlete to participate in marathon running,” he said.
“You just have to have the passion.”
The 13 Bendigo competitors would be on hand to cheer Mr Hill on.
“We’ll be talking to Bendigo to see if we can race together at next year’s race,” he said.
The Melbourne Marathon takes place this Sunday.