Karting opens up whole new world for neurodiverse teen
14-year-old Reece Ward of Cape Town had dreams of driving a racing car from a very early age and was only two years old when he had his first karting experience - a step that would transform his world.
Reece has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Reece was diagnosed with ADHD in Grade One. “A year after being diagnosed with ADHD, Reece was diagnosed with dysgraphia, a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language for their age, despite exposure to adequate instruction and education.
As the years progressed, school became increasingly challenging for him. “This affected his marks across most subjects and still does today. Needing a scribe in a large school was embarrassing for him and he started to feel he wasn’t good enough and would never be good enough; that he was different. It was devastating to see our child go through all of this, so we knew we had to make a change,” says Reece’s mother Natalie.
His parents, Craig and Natalie, made the decision to enrol Reece in Oakley House School for high school. Since then everyone, including his school principal, James Buchanan, have seen a massive shift in the youngster, from a shy, oppositional learner to a chatty regular at the karting track. He now regularly competes at Killarney, racing in the Gold class of the Clubmans category with the Western Province Motor Club.”
“Reece getting involved in karting has completely changed him and everything in our lives for the better. It has helped him to gain confidence. Never before would Reece have gone around chatting to people as he does today at the track. It has truly been amazing to watch for us as parents,” says Natalie.
Adrian Scholtz, CEO of Motorsport South Africa, is enthused with Reece’s success and continued interest in karting.
“Reece is not the first success story MSA has noticed. Parents have commented how the sport definitely improves focus and confidence and gives the child a break from some of the struggles they deal with. It has literally transformed the lives of many children like Reece and, since karting has such a great sense of camaraderie, the knock-on effects are significant for a child’s performance at school and overall confidence as well.
“I have no doubt Reece’s story will impact very positively on the sport and the wonderful work of every member of the ‘karting family’ in promoting the sport and fostering a love for it.”
Reece is always eager to talk about all things karting, fondly recalling his first experience on an indoor track. While his mom and dad were fans of Formula One, Reece quietly developed a deep admiration for the sport's icons in the background - especially Michael Schumacher.
“My first outdoor track experience was quite a shock. It was very hard compared to indoor karting,” says Reece. “While I really loved the outdoor track experience, it took a toll on my concentration and physically on my body and muscles. I overcame this by doing strengthening exercises I found on YouTube posts by Formula One drivers, and also went to the track as often as possible to practice.”
James Buchanan touches on the transformation he has witnessed in Reece, since karting became a staple in his life and he joined the school.
Oakley House High School offers neurodiverse students learning strategies to self-manage challenges and an opportunity to achieve their National Senior Certificate. Typically these are students whose learning challenges affect their ability to achieve their full potential in a mainstream environment, be it for academic, social or emotional reasons. With direct instruction, multi-sensory learning, and technological supports, students build academic knowledge, executive functioning skills, study skills, and a heightened awareness of how they learn best.
Buchanan describes Reece as having lacked confidence and being a reluctant learner when he first joined the school.
“Reece sought every excuse to go home and he was highly oppositional. It was only his mother supporting us in not tolerating this that kept him at school. Over the past year, we have seen immense growth; Reece is happier, his oppositional side has all but vanished, his marks are going up and his self-esteem is growing.
“A staff member described him as far more centred. That this might be due to his motorsport comes as no surprise. At Oakley we argue it is vital for teens to experience taking control of their lives and how fulfilling it can be to achieve personal goals through effort.
“Effort without success, and success without effort both lead to negative affect, and both these often describe school. Reece is no doubt putting huge effort into his karting and is achieving lots of small successes. This is fulfilling and it is spilling over into other areas of his life just as we argue it will do.
“Students with ADHD struggle with sustained focus. I can see how motorsport with its demand for heightened awareness and rapid thinking could be perfect for those with ADHD. In this context the challenges can, for a change, be celebrated as strengths.”
For Reece, a highlight of the sport is the adrenaline rush brought on by the speed of the kart.
“I was also very proud to receive the Clubmans Driver of the Day award after only my second race,” he says.
Success comes with support and, in this respect, Reece is grateful to his parents and friends for always being on the sidelines and working hard to help him fulfil his karting dreams.
“My advice to other young people wanting to get involved in karting is to try indoor karting first as this will give you a real feel for the sport. Then, go to the track – ours is the Killarney Raceway, the home of Karting in the Western Cape.
The karting ‘family’ are always more than willing to help you settle in and develop the necessary skills.”