In bright yellow shirts guides make a difference on and off the track for disabled athletes
Achilles New Zealand has been empowering people of all ages and abilities to participate in mainstream athletics. Having partnered with the Halberg Games since 2025, guides in bright fluorescent yellow T-shirts could be seen proactively supporting disabled athletes in their races over the last weekend.
The New Zealand organisation is one of many country-led chapters of Achilles International, a worldwide movement. The journey in Aotearoa began in 1985 when Brian Froggatt, an above-knee amputee from Dargaville, became the first Kiwi athlete with a disability to participate in the New York Marathon with the Achilles Track Club.
Today, Achilles NZ continues to grow, offering opportunities for New Zealanders with impairments to participate alongside able-bodied athletes in local, national and international events.
National Manager Maia Lewis, who has worked with Halberg previously, and now closely with on this partnership, says Achilles NZ models full inclusion by ensuring disabled athletes can participate in mainstream events alongside their able-bodied peers.
“Everyone has the right to participate, and Achilles enables this to happen through the support of guides,” she says.Reflecting on their involvement at the Halberg Games, Maia says the first year brought both excitement and a sense of the unknown.
“All the guides involved come away with some of the most rewarding experiences they could have imagined, finding huge enjoyment in giving back to the younger disabled generation, as many of the people they support within Achilles are adults.”
At the Halberg Games, the festival atmosphere is unmistakable. While competition is part of the experience, what stands out most is the openness. “There’s a real sense of acceptance as everyone is free to be themselves,” Maia adds.
The guide-athlete relationship is central to this experience. Supporting participants requires adaptability, awareness and trust. “Everyone is an individual and requires support in their own way. It’s about understanding what they need and focusing on what they can do,” she says.
On the track, guides like Mark Fleming and Abhi Sachdeva were in action, supporting athletes while taking in the energy and positivity of the Games.
For Mark Fleming, the experience stands out above all others. “By far, the Halberg Games is the most amazing athletics event I’ve ever been to. Here, everybody supports everybody, and athletes have such big smiles. Taking part is the winning here, and I feel so privileged to be part of it,” he says.
Achilles is built on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to move forward, whether running, walking or wheeling; and guides play a crucial role in supporting those ambitions.
For Abhi Sachdeva, returning to the Games brought a sense of connection. “I was surprised that so many participants and families remembered me from last year,” he says. “Seeing these kids go out and do what they want is really motivating for me. The atmosphere is so positive. No one focuses on disability, it’s about having a good time and giving it your best.”
It is not about leading but partnering. While guides support, the athlete remains in control of their race, strategy and goals. The role demands that guides set aside their own instincts and adapt entirely to the athlete’s rhythm and preferences.
Contrary to what many might believe, guiding is not easier than competing solo. In many ways, it is more complex. Guides must constantly synchronise pace, speed and movement while communicating clearly. A single miscue can disrupt the entire performance. And so, cues like “curb left,” “tight turn,” etc are explained and conveyed during the race.
But perhaps the most important aspect of guiding is not physical — it is psychological. “Trust sits at the heart of the guide-athlete relationship. Guides are not only supporting performance, but also helping athletes manage nerves, build confidence and feel secure. Without that trust, nothing else works,” says Phil.
And while it may appear that guides share in the spotlight, the role is intentionally low-profile. At the Halberg Games, this quiet but powerful contribution is on full display.
After all, in sport, regardless of ability doesn’t everyone relies on support systems: coaches, teammates, equipment? Through guiding, that interdependence simply becomes more visible.
For guides like physiotherapist Shannon Spray, the experience has been both varied and deeply rewarding. “For one athlete, it meant just being by his side, and for another with blindness, I became his pair of eyes,” she says, highlighting the trust required in each interaction.
Achilles NZ supports athletes with a wide range of impairments— not just visual, but also physical and neurological, emphasising that inclusion in sport should be broad and accessible.
At the Halberg Games, this vision comes to life year after year.
