LAKEWOOD — Lochlan Walker was nonetheless winded and hunched over from his 100-meter sprint when his mother, Paige, mobbed him with the information of his private report time of 12.48 seconds.
They smiled concurrently and shared a second they received’t quickly overlook as Walker, a Fairview Excessive Faculty senior, notched the quickest time for a Particular Olympic/Paralympic athlete on Thursday afternoon on the 2024 CHSAA state observe and area meet at Jeffco Stadium.
About an hour later, Walker additionally recorded the very best Particular Olympic/Paralympic time within the 200 meters, at 25.92. These marks made him the quickest disabled athlete within the state, however extra importantly, supplied proof that his variations don’t matter out on the observe.
“The Fairview staff has been so accepting of Lochlan. It’s been a complete lot of ‘you are able to do this’ since his sophomore 12 months,” an emotional Paige Walker mentioned. “There was no distinction in the way in which his teammates deal with him. It’s not, ‘That’s Lochlan and he runs Unified.’ It’s, ‘That’s Lochlan and he’s on our staff.’
“For him, that’s been actually good to not really feel totally different. And for me, it’s not simply my pleasure for what he’s doing, however the pleasure of children who’ve (traditionally) been pushed to the aspect to get on this stage and do that. They get to run. You may discuss inclusivity all you need, however speaking about it and seeing it are two various things.”
CHSAA has run a Particular Olympic/Paralympic 100-meter sprint since 2000, in response to CHSAA observe commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig. In recent times, the group added different dash occasions in addition to area occasions (lengthy leap, shot put, discus). What started with one warmth within the 100-meter sprint in 2000 has since expanded to 17 heats throughout the 100 and 200 meters this 12 months.
The occasions stay exhibitions, with any Particular Olympic/Paralympic athlete eligible to compete, even with no qualifying time/distance.
However on Thursday, that unofficial standing made no distinction to Walker, an 18-year-old with autism and a receptive speech delay whose final purpose is to compete within the Particular Olympics World Video games.
“Individuals say that I’m the quickest (Particular Olympian) within the state, and sure, I’m,” a grinning Lochlan mentioned after profitable the 100. “I’m hoping to get into Particular Olympics quickly, so I could be nice at this sport for a few years. My mother and I simply want to determine how to do this. However the previous three years, the best half is with the ability to see my associates throughout observe, supporting them, seeing them help me.”
CHSAA’s 100-meter sprint for disabled athletes is formally named for Geoffrey Zaragoza, an Alamosa pupil who handled developmental issues. Geoffrey was the son of famend native observe/cross nation coach Larry Zaragoza, who spent 45 years teaching and received 13 state titles throughout the 2 sports activities.
After Geoffrey died from the consequences of an enlarged coronary heart in 2003, then-CHSAA observe and area commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Inexperienced renamed the Particular Olympic/Paralympic 100-meter sprint after him in 2004. Geoffrey was a supervisor for the Imply Moose, and was identified for his infectious power across the observe.
Jenna Taylor mentioned Geoffrey’s legacy lives on by way of the 100-meter sprint and continues to show that these with disabilities “could be totally different, however they’re not much less.” Taylor was Zaragoza’s classmate at Alamosa. She went on to discovered a non-profit in Austin, Texas, referred to as Impartial Id, a day program middle for adults with autism and mental and developmental disabilities that was born out of Geoffrey’s reminiscence.
“Not solely do folks with disabilities discover worth in being included and handled like an individual, I believe everybody else will get numerous worth from being round folks with particular wants or disabilities,” Taylor mentioned. “They bring about a distinct outlook and positivity, so the group must learn to work together with somebody with autism, how one can work together with somebody with an mental incapacity.”
Whereas many of the rivals within the Particular Olympic/Paralympic occasions embedded inside the CHSAA state observe program are college students with mental disabilities, there’s additionally a handful of Paralympic athletes. Presently, Particular Olympians (additionally known as Unified athletes or adaptive athletes) compete alongside Paralympic athletes, who’ve bodily impairments however not mental disabilities.
For the Paralympic athletes, at the very least one runner on Thursday pined for a para-specific competitors on the state meet.
“I want it was extra bodily disabilities I used to be racing in opposition to,” mentioned Banning Lewis Academy junior Jason Dunnock, who blew away his warmth within the 100 meters alongside Particular Olympics athletes and was the quickest Para athlete within the occasion at 14.53 seconds. “I wish to run in opposition to different Para athletes and see what I can do.”
Dunnock has fanconi anemia, a uncommon inherited illness characterised by bodily abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a higher-than-normal threat of illness. He needed to obtain a bone marrow transplant as a part of his remedy, and has realized to adapt to dwelling with irregular arms and palms.
For athletes reminiscent of Dunnock, John Register additionally argues the Paralympic races must be standalone, with official instances and classifications as decided by the Worldwide Paralympic Committee.
Register, who has served as one of many announcers at state observe for the previous six years, was a three-time All-American at Arkansas who misplaced his left leg following an accident whereas coaching for the hurdles for the 1996 Olympic Video games. After that, he grew to become a two-time Paralympian who made the 1996 Video games as a swimmer after which received a silver medal in lengthy leap on the 2000 Video games.
“I do need folks to know the distinction between the 2,” Register mentioned. “Any person would possibly cease a race within the Particular Olympics and assist somebody throughout the end line — that ain’t taking place in Paralympic sport.”
Roberts-Uhlig referred to as the Particular Olympics/Paralympics occasions “one of many best issues we do right here at state observe,” and the rousing response from the grandstands throughout the 100- and 200-meter races backed up that sentiment.
Nick Dixon, the Unified coach for Gateway, mentioned “the grins on the end line are all the time essentially the most rewarding.” Dixon, who can also be a paraprofessional at Gateway, needs to see alternatives for his Particular Olympics/Paralympics athletes improve in coming years.
“I want to see this sport sanctioned like Unified bowling is,” Dixon mentioned. “I would love observe sanctioned, basketball, every part our Unified athletes do be sanctioned by CHSAA. That’s the subsequent step.”
Roberts-Uhlig says that’s an “ongoing dialog with all Unified sports activities” on the CHSAA stage. Unified bowling was sanctioned in 2019, and several other districts have Unified/Particular Olympic observe meets in some kind.
Within the meantime, athletes like Walker and Dunnock proceed to embody the spirit of inclusion that’s been the case for the final 25 state observe meets which have featured Particular Olympic/Paralympic occasions.
“We get into this narrative of the overcoming story, when in fact, we’re simply permitting (disabled athletes) to do what everybody else needs to do,” Register mentioned. “Like all highschool college students, they’re simply looking for themselves, and this makes it just a bit bit simpler.”
