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Sports day success

My husband Damian, our children Sam (10), Sophie (3) and I live on a farm at Binnu in Western Australia, 100km north of Geraldton and 550km north of Perth.

Sam has a diagnosis of autism and attends Binnu Primary School. There are 41 kids at the school. To quote one of them, “Sam is just Sam,” and everyone accepts him and his habits and behaviours. Many of the parents and grandparents have told us how good it has been for the children to grow up with Sam, and of the tolerance and understanding that automatically comes to them from having a kid like Sam in their lives.

September saw the school sports day come around again. There are four children in Year 4, the boys: Sam and Todd, and the girls: Mikaela and Darcy. A couple of months before the sports day Todd had an incident with a motorbike which resulted in a metal plate being put in his leg and a wheelchair and a set of crutches becoming a temporary part of his life. (The wheelchair and crutches also added to the extra curricular activities for the rest of the kids at school during recess and lunch!)

After days of pleading and begging, Todd’s mum reluctantly agreed to let him participate in the sports day. I can only try to describe the scene of these two boys coming down the track: Sam in his blue shirt for Murchison house and Todd in his yellow shirt for Hutt house.

Sam was grinning and flapping so excitedly and making sure everyone was watching him and Todd just in front, hobbling along on his dodgy leg, crutches cast aside, calling to Sam, “Come on Sam, this way, keep coming Sam, well done Sam!” I’m afraid I couldn’t take any photos of the actual race because I was too busy laughing and crying and being so very proud of these two amazing boys. The podium photo sums it all up.

We have three years left at Binnu Primary School before the kids and I will live in Geraldton during the week so that Sam can attend high school. Sadly, Soph will only get to attend Binnu Primary School for kindergarten and pre-primary, for as much as Damian would love to keep her here and run the farm it will probably prove too difficult.

We know there are many benefits and opportunities for Sam and all of us in Geraldton, but we will be forever grateful to the staff, students and families of Binnu Primary School and the community in which we live for giving us what we can never put into words.

Clara Harris, WA

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