Students with special needs shine bright at annual Challenge Meet in Sudbury

Track and field day events are always a fun way to spend the day for students at the end of the school year.

For Sudbury mother Amanda Hook, it was a special day watching her five-year-old son Lucian participate in running, high jump, long jump and shot put. 

Lucien has special needs and was participating in Challenge Meet, a track and field event designed specifically for children living with disabilities.

More than 500 students from the Rainbow District School Board and the Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord took to the track at Laurentian University Tuesday.

"Being a special needs parent is really hard, so being able to come out and still watch your children enjoy things that neurotypical children enjoy, it was an absolutely amazing experience," said Hook.

"It's absolutely amazing that they do this for these kids because they're just like everybody else's kids and they should have every right to enjoy and have fun just like everybody else."

Elizabeth Mazzuca is a life skills teacher at Sudbury Secondary School, which had seven students from the life skills and Autism spectrum disorder programs participating at Challenge Meet. 

She said the event is fully accessible to meet a variety of different abilities and give students some physical activity.

"Opportunities for them to really participate and also compete and being able to challenge themselves and push themselves today, I think is a very positive experience for them," said Mazzuca.

Having an opportunity that made her child feel included was also a highlight of the day for Vanessa Muwonge, whose four-year-old son Liam was participating in Challenge Meet for the first time.

She said, oftentimes with a special needs child, there are certain activities they are excluded from or simply can't do, through no fault of their own.

"And so today, because it was meant for them and designed for them, it was nice just to see him be able to be part of what everyone else was doing," said Muwonge.

"It's important to have the inclusion so that even just the broader community can understand that, you know, these children are capable, but they might just need some more help to walk them through it."