Volunteers are the heart of Achilles Adelaide, and we warmly welcome those who want to get involved. There are several ways you can assist, including:

• Guiding athletes with vision impairment during runs or walks
• Caring for guide dogs while their owners are training
• Running or walking with athletes at events
• Providing transport assistance to and from training sessions or events
• Offering to guide outside of weekly training sessions for additional support

We do our best to match your pace with an athlete of similar ability. However, flexibility is key—you may need to slow down to support athletes who are building fitness or prefer walking.

Not a Runner? No Problem!

Achilles Adelaide welcomes everyone, regardless of ability. Whether you’re unable to run 100 metres, have mobility challenges, or are recovering from an injury, you are still more than welcome at our training sessions.

Our community includes people of all fitness levels—from those just starting out to experienced marathon runners. Whether you prefer to walk, jog, or run, we’re here to support you in a fun and inclusive environment.

Come as you are and go at your own pace! We’d love for you to join us.

We train once a week on Saturday mornings at Glenelg, meeting at 8:45 am for a 9:00 am start at the Rotunda.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with getting to the location please let us know.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We plan to introduce a weeknight strength cross-training session once we have enough interest to make it viable.

Rain, hail, or shine—we train in all conditions! So come prepared for anything and join us for a great session.

We keep our members and volunteers updated each week via Facebook and Instagram, and we attempt a weekly newsletter.

Our social media posts will include the RSVP link, so you can let the rostered coordinator know if you’ll be attending a training session. Alternatively, text 0439 600 546 if you are coming along and whether you are a walker or a runner.

To ensure you’re on our mailing list, please contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au Stay connected and don’t miss out on important updates!

Yes — absolutely.

At Achilles Adelaide, we welcome anyone who is interested in becoming a guide. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to guide, and every new guide helps make participation safer, more flexible and more enjoyable for our athletes.

Having a strong pool of guides means:
• more choice and flexibility for athletes
• shared responsibility across the group
• and less pressure on individuals to attend every week

You are always welcome to guide every week if you’d like — but no one is ever expected to.

Your involvement genuinely makes a difference. The more guides we have, the more people we can support as our community continues to grow.

If you’d like to get involved or would like more information, please contact us at
adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au — we’d love to hear from you.

Inclusive Participation

At Achilles Adelaide, we primarily support athletes with vision impairment and physical disabilities, but we are always open to considering people with other disabilities on a case-by-case basis.

If you have a disability and are interested in joining us, we’d love to chat and see how we can support you.

For any inquiries, please contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au. We’re here to help!

Absolutely — and you’d be very welcome.

No experience? No problem.
You don’t need any prior guiding experience to get started at Achilles Adelaide.

Here’s how it works:

• You’re welcome to come along to any Saturday session to see what we do and decide if guiding feels like the right fit for you.
• We offer official guide training sessions each month, usually held on the second Saturday of the month.
• If you come out before your official training, you’ll be paired with an experienced guide, so you can learn safely and confidently “on the run”.
• You’ll only guide independently once you’ve completed training and feel comfortable doing so — there’s no rush.

If you’re planning to attend your first session, please let us know in advance so we can support you properly. When you RSVP, include your contact details and note that it’s your first time.

👉 RSVP here: https://forms.gle/eSy9eyTsnfPwXv1v6

If you have any questions or would like to chat before coming along, please contact us at
adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au

We’d love to help you get started 💛

Need Help with Transport?

If you are having difficulty with transport to training sessions or events, please let us know. While Achilles Adelaide does not provide transport, we are happy to try and accommodate your needs where possible by connecting you with other members who may be able to assist.

Whilst we have no affiliation with this organisation, we have found that SKOOT Community Access has worked well for some of our members.

If you need support, contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au, and we’ll do our best to help!

At Achilles Adelaide, we walk or run for about an hour in the local area. The distance, time, and pace will be determined in collaboration with the athlete you are guiding to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for both of you.

Whether you’re walking or running, the focus is on inclusion, support, and participation at all levels.

Want to get involved? Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to join a session!

Thank you — we’re incredibly grateful for every donation and every introduction 💛

All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.
Achilles Adelaide Incorporated
ABN: 28 995 161 798

How to donate

You have two easy options:

• Donate online via GiveEasy
This is the quickest option and allows you to donate securely online.
👉 Donate to Achilles Adelaide Incorporated

• Donate via EFT (no platform fees)
If you’d prefer to avoid donation platform fees, you can contact us to make a direct EFT donation. We’re very happy to manually issue a tax-deductible receipt.

Questions or support

If you’d like to talk through donation options, corporate support, or introduce someone who may be keen to help, please get in touch:

📞 0439 600 546
📧 adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au

Thank you for supporting inclusive sport and helping our community grow 💛

There is ample free car parking at the training location.

Becoming a member of Achilles Adelaide helps support our inclusive running community and provides access to a range of benefits.

Membership Fees:

• New members: $65 – includes a club running t-shirt (subject to availability).
• Renewing members: $35 (if a new t-shirt is not required).

Your membership fees contribute to the sustainability of Achilles Adelaide, helping us continue to provide:
✅ Weekly training sessions
✅ Paid entry (where possible) into Adelaide running events
✅ Social events
✅ Guidance on running with people with disabilities

✅ And the boring stuff like insurance and website maintenance

Try Before You Buy!

We encourage new members to try a couple of training sessions before committing—come along and see what we’re all about!

Ready to Join?

Click here to sign up: Achilles Adelaide Membership 2026

Club Shirts

To organise your Achilles Adelaide club shirt, please contact our friendly treasurer team at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au.

As we do not keep excess stock, you may need to wait until our yearly order is placed for new shirts. We appreciate your patience and will do our best to get your shirt to you as soon as possible!

Click here to sign up and pay for your club shirt: Achilles Adelaide Membership 2026

Let Us Know If You’re Attending

While we’d love to see you at training every week (because getting out and about is great for the soul!), we understand that life happens and you may not always be available.

To help us plan and ensure we have enough guides for our athletes, please RSVP each week via our social media links or through our weekly newsletter to let us know if you’ll be attending.

Your response helps us create the best experience for everyone—thank you for your support! 😊

Rain or Shine, We Train!

Unless there is a severe weather warning, Achilles Adelaide training sessions will still go ahead—whether it’s rain or sunshine (but probably not hail! 😉).

Make sure to come prepared with a poncho, towel, or weather-appropriate gear so you can enjoy your session comfortably.

There will be a car that will be locked, while we head out to train, available at the starting point to store bags, canes, umbrellas, drink bottles and towels

See you at training—whatever the weather! 🌦️

Age Requirements for Participation

Achilles Adelaide is open to individuals 16 years and older.

• Participants aged 16-18 years must have parental consent and be accompanied by an adult to take part in training sessions.
• For those under 16, we encourage exploring other fantastic disability sporting opportunities designed specifically for children and adolescents.

If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au.

Safety & Personal Responsibility

While the risk of serious injury when running or walking with Achilles Adelaide is low, participation is at your own risk.

We strongly recommend that all members have personal ambulance cover in case of a medical emergency.

Your safety is our priority, and we encourage all participants to take necessary precautions while enjoying their training sessions with us.

Guiding & Social Connection at Achilles Adelaide

At Achilles Adelaide, able-bodied members are paired with members with a disability, ensuring that everyone has the support they need to run or walk safely and enjoyably.

• Guides are assigned based on their interest and ability, so no one is expected to do more than they feel comfortable with.
• If a faster athlete with a disability does not have a guide who matches their pace, they are happy to adapt to a slower pace to train with an available guide.
• As one blind runner put it:
  “This is 100% better training than a treadmill, and 1000% more interesting.”
• If there are more guides than athletes, guides are encouraged to join other groups for a run or walk—the more, the merrier!
• A Social & Supportive Community

Achilles is more than just a training group—we strive to create a friendly, welcoming, and social environment where everyone can enjoy exercise together.

After each session, we meet back at the starting point, and all members are welcome to stay for a coffee, tea, or juice at a local café whenever they please.

To foster even stronger connections, we have introduced a monthly scheduled social catch-up which is generally on the first Saturday of each month for members to relax, chat, and connect. This is 100% optional.

Learn How to Guide

Watch this short video by Philly Achilles to see how guiding works and get started!

Read the Achilles Adelaide: Guiding Tops for New Volunteers. Click here.

For more information or to get involved, contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au

Can I Train at My Usual Pace?

No, your pace at training will be determined by the members with a disability who attend on the day.

• If you’re keen to run, we’ll do our best to pair you with a member who also wants to run.
• However, the distance and pace may be shorter and slower than what you’re used to.

For this reason, we don’t recommend relying on Achilles training sessions as one of your usual running days. Many of our volunteer runners treat it as a rest or recovery day, focusing on guiding and supporting our athletes rather than their own training.

That said, it’s a rewarding and social experience—we’d love to have you join us! 😊

Not a Runner? No Problem!

Whether you’re not a runner or a runner recovering from an injury, you are still very welcome at Achilles Adelaide!

Many of our members with a disability prefer to walk, and they rely on our volunteers to support them on a walk instead of a run.

If you’d like to get involved as a walking guide, we’d love to have you! Achilles is about inclusion, community, and movement—at any pace.

Join us and be part of the journey! Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to get started.

A Diverse and Inclusive Community

At Achilles Adelaide, our members—both volunteer guides and athletes with a disability—range in age from 18 to 70+. Each week, we welcome anywhere from 10 to 20+ people at our training sessions. We hope to increase these numbers throughout the year as we grow.

Our athletes have various abilities, including those who are vision-impaired or have mobility challenges. They participate at different speeds, whether walking, jogging, or running.

• Some volunteers walk with an athlete who prefers a slower pace.
• Others guide runners who want to go at a faster pace.
• We also have vision-impaired athletes who are eager to race and need guides who can support them at the right time.

If you’re interested in helping an athlete prepare for a race, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to get involved.

No! We welcome all levels of involvement from our volunteers and members.

While some volunteers and members attend most weeks, we also have a large base of casual members who come less regularly.

• We occasionally use a roster system for volunteer guides, but we also rely on others to show up as they can.
• Since we never know exactly how many athletes will attend each session, having extra volunteers available is always helpful.

If you’d like to volunteer but can only attend irregularly, you are still very welcome (and needed!).

You can even let us know how often you’d like to help, and we can add you to a rotating (non-regular) volunteer roster.

Get involved at a level that works for you! Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to learn more.

Part of a Global Movement

Absolutely! Achilles is an international movement dedicated to promoting inclusion in athletics.

Achilles in Australia began in Sydney over 20 years ago and has since expanded to other cities, including Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and now Adelaide.

We are proudly affiliated with our fellow Achilles clubs across Australia, and we encourage you to visit them if you’re ever in their city.

For more information about Achilles Australia and our national network, please visit www.achillesaustralia.org.au.

Beyond Weekly Training – Events, Socials & Future Growth

At Achilles Adelaide, we want our members to have the opportunity to participate in a variety of walking and running events. We enter the following events as a team:
🏃 Run Moana – February

🏃 Adelaide Marathon Festival (5km, 10km, half or full marathon) – Ma

🏃 City to Bay – September

🏃 Jetty Classic – November

Many of our members participate in other events throughout the year as organised between guides and athletes. These include:

🏃 Masters athletics events
🏃 5km, 10kms, Half marathons & marathons
🏃 Local community fun runs

Expanding Our Activities

• We love bringing our community together, so we sometimes organise social events like post-run breakfasts or group dinners before big events but all of these things are optional.
• Looking Ahead – Expanding Inclusion

Our goal is to expand Achilles Adelaide to support all disabilities, both physical and mental, as we grow our network of volunteer guides.

If you have a special area of interest or know someone who could benefit from our support, we’d love to hear from you!

📩 Contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au to get involved or share your ideas.

Join the Achilles Adelaide Community!

We think Achilles Adelaide is fantastic too, and we’re always looking for a diverse range of people to get involved!

How You Can Get Involved

✅ Volunteer as a guide – support an athlete with a disability on their walking or running journey.
✅ Find a guide – if you’re an athlete looking for support, we can help match you with a guide.
✅ Have general questions? – our committee is here to help!

📩 For all enquiries and assessments, contact us at adelaide@achillesaustralia.org.au

📩 Join our membership base 2026 — Achilles Adelaide Membership 2026 — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising

Stay Connected

Follow us on social media to stay up to date with training sessions, events, and community stories!

📲 Instagram
📲 Facebook
📲 LinkedIn

We’d love to have you as part of our growing community! 💛🏃‍♂️