CHILL 28_ March_2024

SPORT

Championing Inclusion Through Sport

AKEEM RUDDER by Camille Russell

H e graduated from the Academy of Sport at The UWI, Cave Hill Campus in 2020 with a BSc in Sport Science, a degree that has ignited his passion for making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. He now teaches part-time at his alma mater where he learnt about the many aspects of sport and sport management. It was there he dreamt up a project called “Hockey for Persons with Disabilities” for the Sport for International Development

course. This project was the seed for what would later grow into the IncludeU Sports Academy . With the encouragement of his lecturer, Javier Reid, Akeem turned his dream into a reality, driven by a desire to improve people’s lives through sport. But setting up the academy was not just a walk in the park; Akeem faced social barriers that limited the physical activity of persons with disabilities, barriers that came from ableist perspectives, which imposed psychological, physical and logistical restrictions to participation in physical activity.

Akeem Rudder is a beacon of inspiration who has devoted his life to opening doors and creating opportunities for those often ignored in the world of sport.

CHILL NEWS 144

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