Noah Vucsics of Calgary was born to run and jump. His journey into track and field began in an unconventional way—by jumping over garbage cans at recess. Instead of serving detention, he was encouraged by his teacher to join the track team, where he quickly discovered his talent in the long jump. This summer, Vucsics will make history for Canada as the first track and field athlete to compete in the T20 sport classification at the Paralympics.
The T20 classification is for athletes with an intellectual impairment. Per the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), these athletes are challenged to absorb information and apply race plans and tactics, especially in competitive environments. The T20 category is one of the most difficult to get classification for, due to the subtleties of determining an athlete’s mental and physical capabilities.
At the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, the Spanish basketball team faked intellectual impairments, leading to the removal of the T20 classification from the Paralympics. It was reinstated 12 years later at the London Games, with much more stringent classification criteria. This rigorous process includes multiple cognitive tests and performance evaluations to ensure fairness in competition. “There’s a fine line between the T20 Para classification and the Special Olympics,” says Vucsics. “Para T20 athletes have more independence, and have nothing physically barring them.”
Intellectual impairment sometimes do not become apparent until children start school. “I wasn’t learning as fast as other kids,” says Vucsics. At age nine, he was moved from regular classes to special education—a program he stayed in until he graduated high school. He was in love with the long jump from the start, and by 2019, he began his journey in Para athletics in the T20 classification. To compete internationally for Canada, all Para athletes must apply for classification.
The 23-year-old has had significant success in his first two seasons under the classification, winning medals for Canada in the T20 long jump at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships and the Para-Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. These successes earned him a spot at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, making him the first Canadian with an intellectual disability to compete in the Paralympics. He also hopes to become the first Canadian in history to earn a medal in the T20 category.
His ultimate goal is to inspire the next generation of Canadian Para athletes with intellectual and learning disabilities. His goal for the summer is to break the 7.50-metre mark, a feat that would likely place him on the podium among the world’s best. Vucsics’ current personal best of 7.31 metres puts him in the top 15 among able-bodied athletes in Canada. In June, he will compete against able-bodied athletes at the Bell Canadian Track and Field Trials in Montreal. “Competing against able-bodied athletes at national events gives me a lot of confidence,” he says. “I hope I can one day represent Canada at able-bodied world championships or Pan Am Games.”
Vucsics credits his coach, Jane Kolodnicki, with helping him stay focused and ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. “I’m not nervous,” he says. “Last year, my coach did such a good job of preparing me for big events—like the Paralympics. I hope to be at a place to attack in Paris and win a medal.”
