About ACHILLES Adelaide

Achilles Adelaide Incorporated was established in October 2024 and is proudly run by volunteers. As a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, we are dedicated to making physical activity more accessible for people with a disability.

Our mission is to create an inclusive and supportive environment where athletes, guides, and supporters come together as a community. We strive to increase participation in physical activities by providing training opportunities, sponsorships, and social events.

Athletes with a disability can join our weekly training sessions, choosing to run or walk with the support of a guide. We also encourage participation in fun runs and other events, fostering confidence, independence, and a love for movement in a welcoming and inclusive space.

Want to get involved? Follow us on social media or join us at a training session! Come and try Achilles Adelaide and if you are keen to join to come out for a session please respond via this link

If you decide to become an Achilles Adelaide member (athletes or guides) you can sign up here

We use GiveEasy as our safe and secure donation portal. All donations above $2 are tax deductible. Click here to donate. Or contact us directly to donate without fees via EFT direct to the Achilles Adelaide Inc bank account.

HISTORY

Achilles Adelaide Incorporated was proudly established in October 2024, with our very first training session held on Saturday, 9 November at Torrens during parkrun.

Since then, we’ve found our weekly rhythm by the sea!
🏃‍♀️ We meet every Saturday at 8:45am for a 9:00am start at the Rotunda in Glenelg, finishing up around 10:00am at the same spot. Walkers, runners, guides, support crew – all are welcome!

To help build connection beyond the footpath, we now host a monthly social coffee catch-up after training on the first Saturday of each month. It’s a relaxed way to chat, connect and share a cuppa – no sweaty lycra required (but totally welcome).

📅 Please follow us on our social media pages to stay up to date – occasionally we shift things around for public holidays or big events like City to Bay or the Adelaide Marathon Festival.

We’d love to see you soon!

Our BOARD

• Justine Crawford – Chair & President
• Vacant – Secretary
• Emma Bruce – Treasurer
• Cassie Hames
• Angela Evans – interim Secretary
• Che Murray

EVENTS SUB-COMMITTEE

• Justine Crawford (temporary chair)
• Dani Raymond
• Vacant
• Vacant

MEMBERSHIP SUB-COMMITTEE

• Justine Crawford (temporary chair)
• Dani Raymond
• Vacant
• Vacant

OPERATIONAL MANAGERS

• Dani Raymond – New Members & Volunteer Coordinator contact via adelaide.members@achillesaustralia.org.au
• Karen O’Malley – First Aide Manager
• Luci Dobbin – Training Manager (on mat leave)
• Megan Ing – Achilles Adelaide Athletics Coordinator contact via adelaide.athletics@achillesaustralia.org.au
• Serin Halliday (manager) and Candice Davis – Merchandise Team contact via adelaide.merchandise@achillesaustralia.org.au

Our Patron

Formal Media Release: 9 July 2025

Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC Appointed Patron of Achilles Adelaide

Achilles Adelaide is delighted to confirm that Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, has accepted the role of Patron of Achilles Adelaide.

Her Excellency’s acceptance is a significant honour for the organisation, which provides safe, inclusive, and empowering opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision to participate in walking, running and strength training alongside volunteer guides.

Founded in late 2024, Achilles Adelaide is part of the global Achilles International movement, supporting athletes with disabilities to experience the joys and benefits of physical activity. The organisation has grown rapidly in its first year, building a strong community of athletes, guides, and supporters across South Australia.

“We are thrilled to have Her Excellency’s support as Patron,” said Justine, President of Achilles Adelaide. “Her leadership, passion for inclusion, and deep commitment to South Australian communities aligns beautifully with our mission to make movement accessible and fun for all.”

Join Our Team – We’re Growing!

Achilles Adelaide is growing, and we’re on the lookout for passionate people to join our team through new sub-committees that will help support our work behind the scenes.

If you love what we do and want to contribute to a welcoming, inclusive community, we’d love to hear from you!

We’re currently looking for support in areas such as:

• 🦯 Volunteer Coordination
• 🎉 Social Events & Community Engagement
• 💛 Sponsorship & Fundraising
• 📣 Communications & Outreach
  … and more!

Whether you’ve got experience to share or just loads of enthusiasm, we welcome expressions of interest. Please email us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au and let us know a bit about yourself and how you’d like to get involved.

Together, we’re building something pretty special — come be part of it!

News Articles

ABC Radio – Adelaide Drive Segment 29th July 2025

Vision Australia Radio – Focal Point 25th June 2025 (go to approximately 15min mark)

5AA Interview 27th August 2025

Vision Australia Radio – Focal Point 10th September 2025 (go to approximately 30mins mark)

Vision Australia Radio – Focal Point 23rd September 2025 (go to approximately 18mins mark)

Vision Australia – Studio 1 – Getting Fit 1st October 2025

Channel 7 – Ray of Sunshine Segment 17th November 2025

POLICY DOCUMENTS

Event Participation Guide

Adverse Weather Policy

Our Partners & Supporters

Achilles Adelaide is a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, meaning all donations are tax-deductible.

Our mission is to create an inclusive, welcoming and supportive community where people with disability can participate in walking, running and physical activity alongside trained volunteer guides.

As a young organisation, the support we have received from donors, sponsors, volunteers and community partners has been extraordinary and has helped turn an idea into a thriving South Australian community.

In 2025, we were incredibly grateful for the support of Achilles Sydney, The Day Family Foundation, the Shaw and Partners Foundation, an anonymous organisational donor, E & B Bruce, Hughes Family, J & P Crawford, Health Partners, Michels Warren PR, Sodii Hydration and SA Foundation Neighbourhood Grants. Their belief and generosity helped establish Achilles Adelaide and allowed us to begin creating opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision to participate safely and confidently in physical activity.

In 2026, Achilles Adelaide received a transformational foundational donation from the Shaw and Partners Foundation and the Shaw and Partners Financial Services Staff. This extraordinary support has helped provide long-term sustainability and confidence as we continue to grow our programs and community impact.

We are also deeply grateful for the ongoing multi-year commitments from The Day Family Foundation and the Taplin Group. Long-term partnerships such as these are invaluable for a grassroots charity and allow us to focus on our mission and future growth.

Additional support in 2026 has been generously provided by Blind Sports South Australia Foundation and Achilles International to support athlete Johnny Huang and his guide team in achieving the remarkable goal of participating in the London Marathon. We also acknowledge the many individuals within our community who donated personally to help make this dream possible. Their generosity, encouragement and belief in Johnny and the team demonstrated the incredible power of community.

Additional support has also been received from J & S Cathcart, J & P Crawford, E & B Bruce and N Collins.

As Achilles Adelaide continues to grow, we rely on the generosity of partners, sponsors, donors and volunteers to ensure our sustainability and operational excellence.

Every contribution helps create opportunities, confidence, connection and inclusion for our athletes and guides — whether through training programs, event participation, transport support, volunteer education or community events.

If you would like to support Achilles Adelaide through sponsorship, partnership, donations or volunteering, we would love to hear from you.

Please follow us on social media and be part of our journey as we continue building a more inclusive South Australia through movement, friendship and community.

Community Partners

We are currently seeking community partners to help us grow and make Achilles Adelaide a sustainable and thriving organisation. If you or your organisation are in a position to support us, we would love to hear from you!

For partnership opportunities, please email us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au.

Join Us as an Low Vision/Blind Athlete or Volunteer Guide

Are you interested in becoming an Achilles athlete or guide? Whether you’re looking to participate as an athlete or guide, we welcome you to be part of our inclusive community.

To find out more, contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Adelaide FAQs

Volunteers are the heart of Achilles Adelaide, and we warmly welcome those who would like to get involved. There are a variety of ways you can support our athletes, including:

• Guiding athletes with low vision or who are blind while they run or walk
• Caring for guide dogs during training sessions and events
• Running or walking alongside athletes at community events

No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to help and be part of an inclusive and supportive community.

If you’re interested in volunteering, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to get started.