Performance

Performance

‘Accidentally’ Going the Distance: Jaryd Cliffords’ Incredible Year

2021 was an exciting year for Bachelor of Arts student Jaryd Clifford. The Rio Paralympian was busy finalising his preparations for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games when he was announced as a 2021 recipient of the prestigious Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Athletics Scholarship, one of the most prominent sporting scholarships at the University.

As a middle-distance runner, Clifford was originally set to compete in the T12 (visioned impaired) 1500-metre and 5000-metre events in Tokyo. However, following his incredible (and accidental) record-breaking performance in the T12 marathon event in Sydney in April, while pacing for teammate Michael Roeger, Clifford found himself picking up a new event for Tokyo, only weeks out from the Games.

The Games presented a very real chance of a medal for Clifford, who had developed both physically and mentally since his Paralympic debut as a 16-year-old in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. With his eyes set on gold, the reigning 5000-metre and 1500-metre T13 World Champion set out for Tokyo with an impressive list of achievements against his name.

However, in tough conditions and against an impressive field of competitors, Clifford narrowly missed out on gold across his three events. Despite this, he was impressively consistent throughout, winning silver medals in the T12 Marathon and 5000 metres, and a bronze in the 1500 metres.

Though disappointed by having fallen just short of gold, Clifford’s frustration soon gave way to a sense of pride in what he had achieved.

“Every athlete in the medal hunt wants to win gold and, falling short, I was shattered,” Clifford conceded. “But even if I had won gold, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would return home from Tokyo with three Paralympic medals. It’s a massive achievement, and one that fills me with so much pride. Of course, I did everything I could to win, but on that day, in those conditions, I was beaten by the better athlete.”

Clifford attributed much of his on-track success in 2021 to his off-track pursuits and support networks.

“My academics mean as much to me as my sport,” he said. “The key to athletic success is having balance in life and passions outside of running.

“During lockdown, [the EAP and the University] had our backs. Even if we didn’t need their resources, to know that they are there to fall back on, to know there are people there – that just takes away the stress.

“When moments became tough, and it felt like the thing we had been working towards our entire lives was going to disappear, just knowing that there was a community at Melbourne Uni – the elite athlete community – that was going through the motions together, that really helped me.”

Majoring in Criminology and Politics and International Studies within his Bachelor of Arts, Clifford is currently pursuing admission to the Juris Doctor (JD).

“As a person with a disability, I see potential in the strength of the diversity in the community. I think with my experiences, and seeing how so many people with disabilities around the world are still fighting for basic rights, this has all driven me to focus on law – potentially, human rights law – but focusing on the disability space.”

In the meantime, Clifford hopes to use his platform as the newly elected Disability Representative on the UMSU Student Council to lead the Disabilities Department in achieving just that: striving for greater visibility for the community through a university environment that celebrates the strength of diversity.

With the new Paralympic Games cycle under way, Clifford is back in training to strengthen his body for Paris 2024. However, he also recognises the need to refresh the mind, taking full advantage of the rare opportunity to focus on his non-running aspirations during the early stages of his preparation.

“My biggest goal of 2022 is to take on an extensive academic load to complete my Arts degree and hopefully qualify for the Juris Doctor starting in 2023. It will be the first time where running might have to take a back seat during some weeks of semester.”

Nonetheless, Clifford is determined to maximise his university holidays, racing the summer track season in the 3000-metre and 5000-metre events before shifting his focus to the marathon – this time, with proper preparation. Key events on the calendar include the Gold Coast Marathon in July and the London Marathon in October, which doubles as the World Championship for Para-Athletics.

Jaryd Clifford crossing the finish line of the Men's T12 Marathon