Tracking community

Over the winter months, with snow making it a challenge for the wheels, we’ve been taking our girls to a local indoor track. Built for the 2022 Canada Summer Games, the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre was designed to be accessible for parasport. There are two large accessible washrooms, one on each level, with adult-sized change tables. Our girls enjoy the laps around the track as well as the chance to see the rinks and the courts from the accessible viewing areas. I can’t stress enough how great it is to find a place like this in our community. It’s also given me a lot to consider about what it means to be in a community.

All ages, all abilities

On any given day, the lanes that circle the track are occupied with all ages. There are some younger individuals intentionally training to race, and there are older individuals taking advantage of the steady surface, relying on walking sticks and mobility devices such as walkers. Recently, I watched a young couple take their little one along in a walking harness. The baby wasn’t able to walk independently, but it was clear that with a little help, steps were possible and met with happy shrieks.

There are rule followers, those that remember the inside lane is for the slower pace and that you ought to stay single file. There are also rule benders who choose to meander in a group, so they can carry on a conversation. Some individuals come for company and want to talk, and others prefer to cover their ears with a device. We’ve been given advice on walking sticks and shoe recommendations. Rachel and Janneke have been met with the occasional puzzling stare, but most of the time, the girls receive smiles and pleasant hellos.

A gathering ground

A quick skim of my recent columns will show that accessibility and community are top of mind for me. I suspect it’s due to the changes we are experiencing in watching Rachel and Janneke grow. I’m paying attention to where we can easily walk and wheel, and where the girls might be welcomed.

One particular day, I was making my way around the track when I caught up to a young woman with Down syndrome who was working hard to stay in her lane. Mind you, she wasn’t running; she was sashaying. She had a set of large earphones on and was audibly singing along to whatever was blasting into her ears. She moved her body to the music, as if she was on a catwalk or a long stage all while singing loudly. And no one shushed her.

I can’t help but think that indoor track is more than a place for exercise. Similar to the sidewalks in a neighbourhood, it’s a gathering ground where small seeds of community can grow with every lap.