Margie Maccoll
Dominic Turnbull completed his ninth Tingirana Special Tri on Saturday, travelling from Brisbane for the event that has changed the life of his family.
Dominic’s mum Rachael said when they first travelled to the Noosa Tri it was for their eldest son to compete, having no knowledge of the special tri.
“This is an amazing event,” she said.
“The first time we came here we saw a young women with cerebral palsy. They placed her in a sort of boat for the swim and transferred her to a special bike. I didn’t know anything like this existed. It’s so inclusive. It made me cry.”
Since then, Rachael’s family has established a triathlon club in Brisbane where Dominic goes for coaching for the event he loves. His dad, Grant, supported him as his buddy throughout the course and Rachael has thrown herself into triathlons, this year participating in her 11th Noosa Tri.
“When he sees his kit he knows it’s race day,” she said of Dominic. “He gets so excited.”
On Saturday Dominic joined a group of about 50 people with special needs who enjoyed the experience of a triathlon in a safe and welcoming environment.
Participants completed a 100m swim, 3km ride and 500m run, along with their buddies and volunteer helpers, with all triathletes receiving a Tingirana Special Tri medal as they cross the finish line.
The smiles and determination on the faces of participants showed just how much it meant to them.
Among them was Lulu, whose buddy supported her through the swim before a group of people assisted her back into her wheelchair. Her mum and aunt then took over as buddies as, at a run, they pushed her chair along the bike and run course for her first tri. As she travelled the course beaming, her family videoed the event, saying she would treasure the memories for the next year.
Also racing was Kingsley Ferguson, taking part in his fifth Special Tri, supported out on course by buddy Anita Absolon.
“He was awesome, an absolute legend,” she said. “It’s just amazing that they get to compete and feel like an athlete. It’s a great way to get these guys out into the community and have a chance to do what everyone else does.”
