From western Sydney to the Southern Highlands, families travelled more than an hour to Wollongong for an inclusive community sports day for people with a disability.
For eight-year-old Mohammed Shadab affectionately known as 'Aboodi', it's an opportunity for the young boy to ride a bicycle.
He happily rode one of the Freedom Ride bikes, which can be modified depending on a person's needs. The postural and pedal support can be adjusted and his dad walked behind using the carer assistance steering and braking.
His mum, Amrina Baquer, said "Aboodi's movements are not so coordinated because he has autism".
The eight-year-old loves cycling but has now outgrown the toddler bicycles which have the needed steering handle.
"He's missing out when his brothers are cycling and he wants to cycle as well," Mrs Baquer said.
The free community sports event was hosted in Wollongong for the first time by not-for-profit Freedom Solutions at the University of Wollongong's sports hub in Keiraville.
People with disabilities and their families and carers participated in netball, dance, street soccer and rugby league on October 3.
The dance workshop by Miss Zoe's School of Dance was a popular activity with a group dancing with sparkly pom poms and ribbons.
Among them was 18-year-old Freya James, who was eagerly awaiting the next song to be played.
"[I came here] to have a bit of fun," Freya James said.
Freya enjoys dancing and singing songs like 'What does the fox say?'.
The Year 12 student from Moss Vale High attended the event to see what she may enjoy doing after school finishes.
She travelled an hour to the event with her support worker Olivia Stone of Mittagong.
Ms Stone, who also has a younger brother with down syndrome, said she spends a lot of time travelling for disability events and programs.
"We've got a lot of kids with a disability in our area but we don't have much there so we do a fair bit of travel ... We travel to Campbelltown, Camden, and Wollongong," Olivia Stone said.
She believes sports programs like this are "super important" for people with a disability to get out and engage with others.
"[It's] letting them know that they have the ability to do all these things that everyone else is doing," Ms Olivia Stone said.
"Otherwise they just look at everyone else doing everything and they think 'Oh okay, well I haven't done that so I can't' but this gives them the chance to actually get out there and try things."
As 'Aboodi' enjoyed the cycle track his two brothers enjoyed the soccer activities.
"I was so glad to find this event and they're including my other kids!" Mrs Baquer said.
"I always look out for disability events because it's very hard for Aboodi to attend events," she said.
They travelled an hour to the event from Roselands in Sydney's West.
While there are many events for her two neurotypical children she said "there's never anything for Aboodi" adding that a library event she attended recently was too fast-paced for him.
She is looking to enrol 'Aboodi' into a soccer program but said the wait lists are long.
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Marlene Even
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
