Barrier Breakers Leads the Way – A First for South Africa

A first for South Africa, and an event that is going to take place annually, was the Barrier Breakers (BB) Intervarsity Wheelchair Challenge between which took place at the UJ Stadium in Westdene on 15 September.

Coinciding with the official provincial trials for the physically disabled athletes from nine schools and three clubs, BB’s Intervarsity gave our able-bodied students from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg an opportunity to witness just how able the disabled athletes are. …And they provided the serious athletes with some light entertainment as they competed in a 100m dash and 200m wheelchair relay.

The event was a culmination for the two universities who each run their own non-threatening and playful wheelchair sensitisation and awareness barrier breaker programmes: WOW (Wooma on Wheels) – University of Johannesburg; and Don’t DIS my Ability – University of Witwatersrand.

The aim for our athletes was obviously to win the BB Intervarsity Trophy which, at the end of the events, was awarded to the University of Johannesburg.


Anxious moments as the students wait for the official results of the 100m dash


Winners of the first BB Intervarsity – University of Johannesburg.


The students give it their all during the 100m dash.