Being a para-athletics classifier
I am often asked two questions about being a para-athletics classifier.
People not involved in para-athletics ask the first question:
What is a classifier?
The support staff, especially athletes, ask the second question. They want to know…
Why do you want to be a classifier?
So, what is an athletics classifier?
Simply put, we provide every athlete participating in athletics a class based on their impairment or disability and how their impairment impacts their sport.
Every athlete will have a letter and a number after their name. The letter relates to the sport; for example, in athletics, it’s a T for track or an F for field. The number refers to their impairment and the class they are assigned to compete in.
There are nine eligibility criteria in athletics, and an athlete must fit into one group.
They are:
- Impaired Muscle Power
- Impaired Passive Range of Movement
- Limb Deficiency
- Leg Length Difference
- Short Stature
- Hypertonia
- Ataxia
- Athetosis
- Vision Impairment
- Intellectual Impairment
What I do
As a physical impairment classifier, I classify everyone except those with visual and intellectual impairments. It’s important to know that there isn’t one class for each eligibility criterion. Multiple classes are involved, and this is where the challenge lies.
As classifiers, we dedicate ourselves to getting this right. Our classification process must be accurate and successful. It must not hinder athletes’ careers but give them a chance to succeed in athletics.
Why I work as a para-athletics classifier
To answer the question of why I want to be a Classifier, there is one simple answer…
I love athletics.
It has given me so much and I want to ensure that future athletes have a fair, transparent system. You can read more about my athletics journey here.
It must let them train, compete, and pursue their dreams. As a retired GB athlete, level three and performance coach, I am often asked why I moved into classification.
In 2012, they allowed me to shadow some classification clinics. I enjoyed seeing it from a classifier’s view. I had been through classification as an athlete and had had athletes that I coached through classification. This allowed me to have a basic understanding of what it was.
In 2013, I became a national classifier after completing the training.
I have worked hard and always had the athlete’s best interest at the centre of everything I do. I have continued to grow as a classifier.
In 2017, I became a Classifier Support Personnel for UK Athletics.
This involved supporting GB athletes through international classification. It fueled my love of classification. I wanted to be an international classifier.
This finally became a reality in 2024 after a six-month application process. I finally went abroad to train to become an international classifier. After a gruelling 10 days and much stress, I qualified as an international classifier.
I was one of nine successful applicants worldwide.
This is a dream come true.
I can now ensure my sport of Athletics is fair for all who want to compete and achieve their goals.
