VIS para-athlete, Jaryd Clifford, made history at the IAAF U20 World Championships in Tampere, Finland as he became the first Paralympian to compete at the able-bodied event.
Clifford contest the 1500m where he ran 3:47.77 to place eighth in heat 2, finishing 14th overall.
The VIS scholarship holder wanted to show the world what the Paralympics were all about by putting himself in the mix and having a crack.
“I fought bloody hard out there. I had a real crack and I’ll never forget the feeling of mixing it with those guys,” Clifford said via Instagram.
Reflecting on his performance in Tampere, Clifford sent a message to those who are striving for similar success.
“Be proud of who you are. Embrace your imperfections. And dare to dream. I did and it was incredible.”
In other athletics news, Ryan Gregson performed strongly at the Rabat, Morocco Diamond League placing 6th over the 1500m in 3:34.38.
It may have taken 2,249 days but Jordan Williamsz has ended his 1500m personal best drought by recording a time of 3:36.62 to place 2nd in Lignano, Italy at Sport e Solidarietà.
Brooke Stratton has put together two consistent performances on the board in her European campaign. Also competing in Lignano, Stratton won the long jump with a leap of 6.67m and will now turn her focus to the London Diamond League on 21 July.
