A number of years ago, one of our teachers realized that the learners in the Junior and Neural Phases needed their own athletics event, with less rigidity and more (much more!) fun. The name ‘Toffee Athletics’ was chosen and it has since been one of the most successful sporting events on our school calendar!
And, when the Big Day arrives, the learners sit in neat little rows, but, with their eyes focused on Mommy, Daddy, family members and friends, the whole dynamic soon changes to a happy, ‘un-rowed’ Toffee Event. Oh, the laughter, the unbridled joy emanating from the beings of our young participants when racing in their wheelchairs, sack-hopping down the lanes whilst enjoying the ‘paparazzi’ capturing their elation and delight on camera, is indeed an unforgettable experience.
Parents scooping up their little ones as they come running, cycling or jumping down the pre-set lanes, make for poignant moments forever ingrained into our collective memories. And when the happy debris of the Toffee event lay strewn around and little children go home after a day of racing Where-Everybody-Wins, we believe that upon going to bed, they dream of the one episode in their lives where they rose as a sporting wonder, admired by all and photographed by many.