Hugo ran at the Nationals for cross-country but was sadly not allowed to compete. 🏃💔

It was tokenistic, but Hugo went anyway because he earned his spot, loves running, and wanted to keep raising awareness that short-statured athletes must be allowed to compete, not just participate. Real inclusion matters. 💛

7NEWS succinctly captured the outcome in their news story ➜ Facebook link
The Manly Observer also published an insightful overview and Instagram explainer.

We'll keep you updated if Australian Athletics decides to include short-statured athletes as equals during their ongoing three-year review. Hugo will have left school by then🤦, but he still hopes to help the next generation of short-statured athletes.

What’s next? Hugo isn’t slowing down. He’s halfway through Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge, running 4 km and doing 100 push-ups every day for 10 days to raise funds and awareness for people experiencing homelessness. 💪🙌

Hugo said, “With my short legs, every run feels about triple the distance because I take so many more steps than most people. Last year I pushed through 3 km a day and ended up completely wrecked, so stepping up to 4 km plus 100 push-ups this year is going to be seriously tough.”

If you can, please support Hugo’s fundraising for Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge ➜ Donation link.  Every contribution makes a real difference.

Thank you again for your support, for fairness, inclusion, and the dignity everyone deserves. These values connect Hugo’s fight for equal opportunity in sport with his efforts to help those doing it tough. 💛

Follow Hugo updates on Instagram and Facebook 
#LetHugoRun #RealInclusionMatters #inclusion #fairness #dignity #homelessness #NeddsUncomfortableChallenge