Canberra Raiders Coach, Ricky Stuart joined some of Australia's best wheelchair racers at the 2017 GIO Summer Down Under Wheelchair Road Racing Series, Race on Rollers launch event in Canberra today.
At the launch members of the public had the opportunity to try a racing wheelchair for themselves and race against Ricky and Australian Paralympic Athletes, including Kurt Fearnley OAM, Rheed McCracken and Madison de Rozario, and Canberra’s own Angie Ballard.
Wheelchair Sports NSW CEO Jim O’Brien says the Race on Rollers event begins the racing series that will see over 40 wheelchair athletes from across the globe compete at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) on 20 - 21 January 2017.
“With two big nights of racing the International Track Meet is a highlight of the Series that brings together the world’s top international wheelchair athletes to race against their rivals and break world records,” he said.
GIO is a proud supporter of Wheelchair Sports NSW. Local GIO ACT Executive Manager, Surayez Rahman, says GIO wants to affect positive change in the disability sports space in the Canberra community.
“The series highlights the opportunity for Australians of all abilities to experience the challenge, camaraderie and sense of achievement that sport can offer. We have partnered with Wheelchair Sports NSW because of their vision to enrich the lives of people with a disability through participation in sport,” he said. The Summer Down Under Wheelchair Road Racing Series is the highest profile wheelchair-sporting event in Australia. The Series, coordinated by Wheelchair Sports NSW, has grown from a single race to two international competitions, road and track events, and attracts the finest wheelchair athletes from across the world.
The 2017 GIO Summer Down Under Series – Canberra will feature the following events:
Friday 20 January 5:30PM | International Track Meet | AIS Athletics Track
Saturday 21 January 5:30PM | International Track meet | AIS Athletics Track
After the Series wraps up in Canberra, athletes will move onto Sydney for the Twilight Track Meet at Blacktown International Sportspark on Tuesday 24 January and the annual GIO ‘Oz Day 10K’ at The Rocks on Thursday 26 January 2017.
