SCS Alumni sets his sights on the Paralympics for Cross Country
How does school sport benefit a student you may ask. Well, for Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Alumni, Kyle McIntosh, it introduced passion, success, and a paved pathway to the Paralympics.
Having attended St Patrick’s Primary School, and St Patrick’s College in Sutherland, Kyle’s love of cross country was cultivated through school sporting carnivals and pathways. Now, Kyle is a three time Virtus Global Games competing in the T20 classification, a competition that only elite athletes with an intellectual disability participate in, and has just been selected into his sixth Australian Team that will compete in France this June.
2022 was a huge year for Kyle. He travelled to San Diego to compete in the Virtus World Cross Country Championships, marking the first time ever Australia took a team over. Not only did he finish 6th in the short course event and 9th in the long course on the international stage, but he was also surprised with an honour of a lifetime.
“It was so exciting! With the time difference to Australia, they had to call up my parents at the right time. Michael Thompson from Sport Inclusion Australia got my mum and dad on zoom, then the next minute they told me I was the flag bearer! It was very exciting and emotional at the same time” Kyle recalls.
But the accomplishments didn’t stop there, he once again put on the green and gold to compete at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane where Kyle was the recipient of two silver medals, as well as of one of the most prestigious awards to ever exist.
Michael Thompson from Sport Inclusion Australia got my mum and dad on zoom, then the next minute they told me I was the flag bearer! It was very exciting and emotional at the same time. – Kyle McIntosh
Awarded by the Governor General, the Australian Sporting Medal has been awarded to recognise sporting greatness by the likes of Cathy Freeman, Rod Laver, and Gary Ablett Snr. Kyle McIntosh now joins this long list of Australian icons. “You can only receive the medal once, so it’s very special to me,” he says.
Kyle was also recognised by the International Paralympic Committee in 2021, where he obtained an Oceania Record in his 800m event with a lightning time of 2:05:86.
“I was shocked because after the event finished, my mum got an email 4 weeks later saying that I had won a record.”
Kyle is now diligently training for the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst. Held in mid February, this will be the first time Australia is running the event on home soil.
But looking towards the future, he has the urge to give back to his community and his strong support network.
“In five years time I want to still be running and helping out the T20s coming through now, I want to help them get better” he says. “My best advice is that you’ll have your ups and downs sometimes, whether you get injured or training gets hard, but just enjoy it and have fun.”
SCS is proud to have Kyle McIntosh as an alumni and will continue to support his sporting endeavours. With the SCS Sports program designed to provide countless opportunities to students, it is heartwarming to see where Kyle started, and where he is heading, moulding not only a top athlete, but a role model.