Intellectually impaired cyclists on right track with IST at Road Nationals

The Australian Road National Championships have been a breath of fresh air in Ballarat, as have the intellectually impaired team from Inclusive Sports Training.

Source: AusCycling

IST’s team from the Preston Cycling Club received one of the loudest cheers day two had to offer on their way to the finish line of the Open Men’s course – one they completed in just under 56 minutes.

Head coach and director Liz Gosper founded IST with a goal to help young, intellectually impaired athletes reach their potential through training and participation, and, in the six years since, it’s only grown.

“It’s a group that coaches kids with primarily an intellectual disability,” Gosper said.

“In sport, that means below 75 IQ and a result on the behavioural adaptive test.

“But we are also including now II2 athletes, which is code for more high-functioning autism, and a lot of the athletes also have comorbidity.

“So, they might have an intellectual disability, but we also might have an amputee or vision-impaired (athlete).

“The athletes that started with me, many of them are very into the racing – not everybody, but we’ve had to expand the group, get in more coaches.

“At the very start I could run and cycle as fast as the kids, but now – no way.”