CHENNAI: A sportsman from the time he was 13, he is also a two-time Olympic gold-medalist in cycling and shot put. Tall and well-built, he is like any sportsman you know, only a little more special — he has been a person with special needs since birth. Kariappa Kumar (30), a Special Olympics Gold Medalist in 10km cycling (2003, Ireland) and shot put (2013, Australia), said that training at least three hours every day helped him win despite his disability. “Training and hard work is very important to win the medal,” he said.
A person with special needs is characterised by an IQ score under 70, in addition to deficits in two or more adaptative behaviours that affect every day or general living. Kariappa had come to motivate athletes at the ‘Special Olympics Unified Sports’ — a sports event which enables those with special needs to compete along with school children.
The event was conducted by Montfort Community Development Society (MCDS) and Montfort Higher Secondary School this weekend. MS Nagarajan, senior sports manager, Special Olympics, Asia-Pacific, who organised the event has been Kariappa’s personal and sports mentor since he was a teenager.
Since no athlete is allowed to win a sport twice at Special Olympics, after winning a medal in cycling, Kariappa trained 10 years to win shot put in 2013. He is now training to win the weightlifting championship. One-hundred school children were chosen to be the ‘unified partner’ for 100 intellectually-challenged athletes. All participants were classified into one of the four ‘houses’ or teams in the school. The athletes with special needs competed against each other and the school children were pitted against their peers. The scores were given to their corresponding house and the one with the highest score won overall.
Nagarajan said, “Usually these events happen with only a few instructors and no audience. But, this concept of fighting for a team has let these children (with special needs) to feel like they are in a real contest.”
Reverend Brother KK Thomas, principal, Montfort School, said the school is inclusive and disabled-friendly. “We have an average of two children with special needs in each section, and also have therapists and special instructors to train them appropriately,” he added.
When organisers were struggling to arrange for lunch sponsorship, one student proposed that each child from the participating school bring lunch for one of the athletes with special needs. Therefore without having to arrange for external sponsors, all athletes dined together as one big family.