Ramped up for boccia

A Year 8 student at Applecross Senior High School can now fully participate in a sport he loves thanks to two of the school’s Engineering Studies students.

Year 12s Dylan Hudson and Tom King have designed and built a custom boccia ramp for Ryan, a student with quadriplegia, providing him the independence to play the game.

Boccia (pronounced 'Bot-cha') is a sport similar to bowls or curling, where players throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court with the aim of getting closest to a 'jack' ball. The sport has been a Paralympic event since 1984. 

The project began when Engineering Studies teacher Stue Carr saw an opportunity to adapt the course to meet a real need within the school.  

“The idea came about when Ryan wanted to play boccia, but existing ramps didn’t meet his needs,” Mr Carr said.  

“The standard designs relied on someone else to release the ball, which meant he couldn’t fully participate.  

“We saw an opportunity to adapt the course, so students could design a ramp with a built-in mechanical release mechanism, giving Ryan the independence to activate it himself.” 

Dylan and Tom spent months designing and building the ramp, working closely with Ryan to make sure it suited his needs.

“We talked with Ryan about his preferences, including painting it his favourite colour,” Dylan said.  

“We also tested how he could activate the mechanism from his wheelchair to make sure it worked for him.” 

One of the biggest challenges was designing a release mechanism that Ryan could operate on his own.  

“Welding and aligning the struts was tricky and joining wood and metal so it was both strong and neat was also a challenge,” Tom said.  

However, seeing Ryan use the ramp for the first time made it all worth it.  

“It felt amazing to watch him use it. We were relieved it worked properly and proud knowing it made a real difference for him,” Dylan said. 

And what did Ryan think of it all? 

“I was surprised at the attention of detail they put into the ramp, such as the ‘League of Legends’ logo they engraved into the release mechanism,” he said.  

“It was fun to see the ideas they came up with for the release mechanism.  

“It was also entertaining seeing them all compete for the best ramp!” 

Mr Carr said the project highlighted the value of practical, hands-on learning.  

“This project is a great example of why hands-on learning matters,” he said.  

“The students were given a real client and a real-world problem, which made the design brief more meaningful.  

“For Dylan and Tom, the project reinforced how skills in design and problem-solving translate into something that can change lives.”