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Wheels to Stadium

Scottish Disability Sport are excited to launch a wheelchair multi-sport engagement event, Wheels To Stadium.  Photos of the experience may be found here.

The event is designed to allow people to experience a wide range of Wheelchair Sports delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches available in Scotland. We have selected activities where we have strong club links so participants can continue to enjoy and develop within the sports for many years to come.

Wheels To Stadium is about providing a range of opportunities for people who use a wheelchair for sport to try new and exciting sports and learn more about the pathways that are available throughout the country.  Furthermore, the event will highlight the opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve at the highest level and hopefully inspire them to become our stars of the future.

A selection of Sports Wheelchairs will be available for use at the event.

This event is free and is being supported by Allan McDougall Solicitors and Celtic Foundation.

Please note that you do not need to be a daily wheelchair user to participate, play and excel in wheelchair sports.

Target Groups

Wheels To Stadium is aimed at participants of all ages who may use a wheelchair for sport. Participants will be invited to choose four sports from a selection of nine to participate in. Those accompanying athletes are welcomed to join in.

Event Staff

The event will be staffed by Scottish Disability Sport staff, Volunteers, Coaches and Sports Development Officers from NGBs and clubs.

Location

Wheels To Stadium will be held over two locations: Grangemouth Stadium and Grangemouth Sports Complex. Information about where each sport session will take place will be provided closer to the event.

The event will be start at 10:00 to 15:00 on Sunday 4th September 2022. Registration will begin at 09:30.

Sessions will either be 45 minutes or 75 minutes depending on the sport and sign up’s. Time will be allocated to transition between activities and for a lunch break.

Sports

The nine wheelchair sports on offer at the event are Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boccia, Curling, Rowing, Shooting (laser), Swimming and Wheelchair Skills

Refreshments

There is a cafe available on site, however, we recommend you pack your own refreshments.

High-Performance Athletes

One or two high-performance athletes will be in attendance to share their experiences throughout the day.

Registration

You can register using this link to our online registration site. Further information can be found by following the link.

Poster with event time and details and 3 athletes

Ross Paterson: Journey to the Commonwealth Games

In his own words, Ross Paterson documents his journey in sport that has led to him being selected to represent Team Scotland in Athletics in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Name: Ross Paterson 

Disability: Cerebral Palsy (Hemiplegia) 

Region: Paisley 

Club: Red Star AC/Kilbarchan AAC 

Coaches: John Kinder/Alasdair Barker/Ricky Miell 


I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 10 months of age. My disability affects the strength, coordination and control of the right hand side of my body.  

Throughout my childhood and from as early as I can remember, I was always at Hospital between physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and sessions for anxiety as I progressed through primary school. I was always treated differently by the teachers and was never given an opportunity to compete at sport. I remember trying out for the school football team when I was in primary six and being devastated not being selected for the team. I wanted to get involved in sport and I loved football, I wanted to be like my heroes that I watched on a Saturday at St Mirren Park but even at that age for my teachers it wasn’t about taking part it was about winning and to them I wasn’t good enough to be in the team. This really knocked my confidence within the school environment as I saw other boys training and developing friendships that I was excluded from as they went onto play in the school team. 

My love for football was evident and at my physio sessions at Hospital the physio realised that she could get me to do any of my exercise routine if she involved a ball. Through my Physio, I was put in touch with a disability football team, called West of Scotland Football Club for the Physically disabled. This opened up a whole new world of sport for me and meant that I could be involved with a Team which I had never experienced before. I excelled in the team and despite being the youngest in the team, I was accepted. 

I progressed within football to training with the development team for the Scotland FA Cerebral Palsy Team. 

I loved sport as it gave me a sense of worth being able to play and compete with other ambulant players.  

I first got involved in athletics when my football team were invited to take part in an athletics competition by Red Star AC. I really enjoyed it, it was a great day, and a coach approached my parents and I at the competition as said I should get involved in Athletics. I joined Kilbarchan AAC before joining Red Star AC and between football and athletics sport was full on for me and my parents who were my full-time taxi! I continued to progress in both sports. 

In 2014, I was selected by Scotland CP football to compete in an Under 19 competition in Ireland and then again in the World CP Championships in Nottingham, where for me playing against and setting up the Scotland goal was a highlight. I had been selected for the athletics team as well, but at this point I had chosen football over athletics as I thought the opportunity to play football in a major competition wouldn’t happen very often. 

About three years later, I took the decision to concentrate on my athletics career and gave up playing football. It was a hard decision but the right decision for me at the time. 

Things progressed very quickly for me after making that decision and I was invited into the GB athletics development academy and I was selected for the European Championships in Berlin where on my debut for the senior GB Team, I won silver in the T38 400m. It was an experience that I will never forget and the whole GB set up from start to finish was absolutely brilliant. To date this has been my greatest sporting achievement and one that I am extremely proud of. 

To be selected for Scotland and have the opportunity to compete in what will be my first Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is a dream come true. My journey to make the qualifying standard hasn’t been an easy one, I was due to compete in Dubai at the beginning of the year and fell ill with COVID-19 meaning that I couldn’t travel. 

Chasing legal winds and times in a WPA ranked event in the collapsing time frame has been stressful and I took it down to the wire by gaining the time that I needed in the very last competition before the deadline.  

When I got the call to say I had made the Team, I felt a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but I suppose that shows how much I wanted the opportunity and how much it means to me to compete in a major competition for my Country. 

My ambition for the Commonwealth Games is a simple one, I want to compete to the best of my ability, to make my friends, family and coaches John, Ricky and Alasdair proud. I want to enjoy the whole event from the holding camp, the athlete’s village and taking my place on the starting line with the best T37/38 athletes in the Commonwealth – put simply I want to enjoy the whole experience and make great memories. 

My experience in sport from a young age was not particularly great with teachers who were uninspiring. My message to up and coming athletes of the future is, concentrate on your ability not your disability. Let your talent define you, no matter what hurdles life puts up in front of you, with hard work and determination you can overcome them and go onto inspire your own generation. 

Scottish para-athletes confirmed for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

SDS are delighted that 31 Scottish para-athletes have been selected in the Team Scotland squad for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Not only is this the largest number of Scottish para-athletes selected to compete at a Commonwealth Games, but the most sports they will compete in (7).

The games begin on Tuesday 28th July running until Friday 8th August with the para-athletes set to compete across the following sports: Athletics, Swimming, Bowls, Triathlon, Powerlifting, Cycling & Basketball.

The following Scottish para-athletes have been selected:


Athletics

Ross Paterson, Alexander Thomson,

Sammi Kinghorn, Mel Woods, Sean Frame

Swimming

Abby Kane, Stephen Clegg,

Toni Shaw, Ollie Carter, Sam Downie

Bowls

Gary Hood, Kevin Wallace, Pauline Wilson,

Rosemary Lenton, Robert Barr, Melanie Innes,

Sarah Jane Ewing (guide), George Miller (guide)

Triathlon

Alison Peasgood & Hazel McLeod (guide)

Powerlifting

Micky Yule

Cycling

Neil Fachie, Aileen McGlynn,

Libby Clegg, Lewis Stewart (pilot),

Jenny Holl (pilot), Ellie Stone (pilot)

Basketball

Robyn Love, Jude Hamer, Jessica Whyte, Lynsey Speirs

Many congratulations to all athletes who have been selected and we wish everyone the best of luck in Birmingham.


Find out more on the Team Scotland website

Maria Lyle Scottish Disability Sport Intern

New Events Coordinator

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is delighted to announce that Maria Lyle has joined the SDS Events Team as Event Coordinator and is tasked with supporting the SDS Events Calendar for the duration of her internship, including the junior and senior athletics championships, the residential summer camp and a upcoming wheelchair sport engagement event in September.  

Maria is one of Scotland’s most decorated athletes and brings with her an extensive experience of events locally, nationally and internationally.  

Maria is also currently coaching the next generation of athletes at Meadowmill in her home district of East Lothian and is also returning to her own training after a period out with injury.  

Maria can be contacted by email, event.coordinator@scottishdisabilitysport.com from now until the end of her role in September, after which Maria returns to her Sports Coaching course at Napier University.  

Three Boccia players selected for Czech Open 

The Czech Open returns to the international calendar and Scottish Boccia has selected three players to attend the event which will take place in Prague from the 3 – 5 June 2022. 

Fiona Muirhead (BC4), Tyler McLelland (BC4) and Kayleigh Haggo (BC2) will make their international debuts in the sport and will play within both the individual and pairs format of the competition. The group will be joined by Boccia UK BC4 player, Louis Saunders, who will team up with Fiona Muirhead in the pair’s competition.  

The Czech Open provides the perfect opportunity for Scottish players to compete on the International stage, supporting their preparation as an elite level athlete ahead of potential future selection for Boccia UK programmes. 

SDS Regional Development Manager (RDM) Andrew Mackenzie will take on the role as Team Manager, supported by Boccia UK Performance Coach, Claire Morrison.  

SDS is delighted to see our players competing in international competition again following a difficult couple of years for the sport, and we wish them all every success. 

Player  Coach 
Fiona Muirhead  Michaela Řiháčková
Tyler McLelland  Jen Barsby 
Kayleigh Haggo  Peter McGuire 

 

 

SDS are 100% ready to get behind UKAD’s Clean Sport Week

With a big summer of sport ahead, SDS is proud to reaffirm our commitment to clean sport by backing UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign.

Clean Sport Week is UKAD’s national awareness week, which runs from 23 – 27 May and champions clean sport, education and anti-doping initiatives with sports across the UK.

The theme for this year’s campaign is “what you see is 100% me” as we all want to see 100% hard work, determination and respect for the rules from athletes competing on the world stage. So, alongside UKAD, we are making it our mission to ensure all our athletes can say with confidence “what you see is 100% me” when competing this summer.

In the build up to Clean Sport Week, we have been working with UKAD to complete the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies must do to show they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities. In addition, we are ensuring all our athletes are prepared for their upcoming competitions by taking part in UKAD’s 100% me education programme and by inviting them to attend the Clean Sport Week webinar on Tuesday 24 May, which is open to all and will look at important anti-doping topics and advice for preparing for a Major Games.

We also encourage anyone in our sporting community that would like to learn more about anti-doping to sign up to UKAD’s free new Introduction to Clean Sport course via its website, here.

To find out how athletes can excel on the world stage sign up to UKAD’s Clean Sport Week webinar here, and follow @ukantidoping on social media to see a range of educational and exciting content throughout the week.

To find out more about UKAD’s Clean Sport Week initiative click here.

 

 

Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport

SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) have launched a new initiative to use the power of sport to help people manage their mental health.

The initiative will harness the huge benefits of physical activity and sport with clubs, organisations and activity providers encouraging people to connect with their local community to raise self-esteem and reduce isolation.

The launch event was held at the Oriam in Edinburgh, with the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport Maree Todd in attendance.

Abby Cook, Forth Valley Disability Sport GOGA Officer and Young Start graduate represented SDS at the launch to share her story about how sport changed her life. She is now encouraging others who experience poor mental health to discover sport as she says it not only builds physical strength but helps your mental health to grow stronger. Abby struggled with anxiety and an eating disorder in her early teens after a condition she had since birth Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which causes your joints to easily dislocate causing a lot of pain, worsened and left her unable to walk and needing to use a wheelchair.

She said: “I was a competitive swimmer up until the age of 13 and loved cross country running. Physical exercise was my life but it was taken away from me overnight when my condition became so bad that I ended up being housebound for six months and unable to attend school. I became very anxious, depressed and ashamed of my disability.

“I came across Forth Valley Disability Sport when I was at breaking point and looking for a way to meet like-minded people in my local area.  Sport wasn’t the main motivator for joining, I found the social aspect helped save my life. It’s the chats with someone before and after you take part in a sport that really helped me, I found myself meeting new people and really looking forward to going back each week.”

More information on the SAMH website

 

Para Snowboard Talent ID: Finding the stars of the future

Snowsport England and Snowsport Scotland are starting a talent search for the para snowboarding stars of the future, in particular women between the ages of 16-25 with an upper limb difference.

It Could Be You!

Snowboarding is a great sport that is active, social, creative and you can do it in some of the most beautiful places in the world. If you do any sports that require balance and a strong core then you’ll be well suited to snowboarding. The obvious sports with similarities to snowboarding are skateboarding, surfing and wakeboarding, but people from backgrounds such as horse riding, cycling and gymnastics have also become amazing snowboarders.

If you like the idea of snowboarding then sign up and you could be picked for one of the week long Fast Track sessions this summer (2022). The group lessons will involve instruction from a qualified instructor over 4/5 days at one of the indoor snow centres across the UK. No prior snowboard experience required!

Tell Me More About Para Snowboarding

Learning to snowboard could be just the start. If you’ve got a head for speed and a competitive streak, then competitive Para Snowboarding takes the format of racing, both against the clock and head to head. The courses can include banked corners, undulating terrain and jumps. Similar to BMX and mountain bike trails. Training for this sport is varied and never gets boring, along with time on snow you will use acrobatics facilities, practice other board sports and use gyms.

There are three levels of competition for para snowboard internationally. Starting at Continental Cup before graduating to World Cup and then the biggest stage of all: The Paralympics. At the moment there are women in the Upper Limb category at Continental and World Cup levels but, there aren’t enough to feature at the Paralympics which is why you are needed to help make history!

Sign Me Up!

To sign up your interest in the programme please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/hrdc7GBVQpiMHiTw6

Or for more information contact: alastair@snowsportscotland.org

Spotlight on Swimming: Everyone Can Swim

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) enjoy a close relationship with Scottish Swimming and continue to work collaboratively to support and develop opportunities for participants with disabilities to get swimming across the country.

Participation opportunities are available to all individuals who would like to swim. The inclusive nature of swimming enables people of all abilities, regardless of experience or background to come together, become connected and get involved.

This week we will be putting a Spotlight on Swimming, our partnership with Scottish Swimming and the inclusive opportunities that are available for people with disabilities. We truly believe that Everyone Can Swim.


Getting Involved in Swimming

Parasport Festivals: Swimming is a mainstay of the SDS Parasport Festivals with many children and young people given a taste of swimming for the first time under the watchful eye of Scottish Swimming staff who are quick to identify and support anyone who is keen to take the sport further. Parasport Festivals have been a key method of engaging school aged young people at grassroots level and supporting them into club activity.

Keep an eye on our Social Media channels for information on upcoming Parasport Festivals.


Learn to Swim & See My Ability – Everyone Can Swim!

Learn to Swim is an inclusive programme that was launched to provide opportunities for young people to become confident, safe and happy swimmers, and to raise standards and achieve consistency in swimming programmes across Scotland.

See My Ability is an inclusive programme that encourages children with a disability to learn to swim. Swimming provides the opportunity to learn a life skill whilst interacting and having fun in a group environment. This should be no different for a child with a disability and where possible your child will be included in a class with their peers.

Make sure you watch this inspiring video:


More information can be found on the Learn to Swim website.

Find a Swimming Club

There are many inclusive opportunities to swim across the country and you can use the Scottish Swimming Club Finder to find an opportunity near you here:

Find a Club

SDS can also support and advise you if you would like to get involved in swimming, where we can work in partnership with Scottish Swimming to find an appropriate and inclusive opportunity for you.

Contact: admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or call  0131 317 1130 and we’ll be happy to help.


Leading Performers

Everyone can swim, and these leading performers all started off somewhere – could this be you?

Toni ShawToni Shaw

Paralympian Toni Shaw came through the Learn to Swim programme at the age of 8, where she soon developed a talent for swimming where she joined Cults Otters before progressing through the pathway to the University of Aberdeen Performance Swim Club. Her classification is S9 and her favoured events being the 400m Free, 100m Free & 100m Fly.

By the age of 14 Toni held 14 Scottish national swimming records where she was then selected to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and in 2019 she was to set a new World Record time in the S9 200m butterfly at the Para-swimming World Series in Berlin in 2019 when she was just 15 years old. Following this she won 6 medals at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, taking gold in both the 4x100m medley relay. and 4x100m freestyle relay

Toni was then selected to represent Team GB at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, where she medalled in her first games taking bronze in the 400m freestyle event, setting a new PB and Scottish record in the process.

Stephen CleggStephen Clegg

Stephen comes from a family of Paralympic athletes, with both older sister Libby and brother James winning medals for ParalympicsGB at London 2012 in athletics and swimming.

Stephen started swimming in 2014 and quickly took to the sport, breaking through to make his major debut at the 2016 IPC Swimming European Championships in Funchal, Portugal, where he made three finals and set a new personal best in the 400m freestyle S13.

He made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 where he recorded his best result in the final of the 100m backstroke S12, finishing in 5th place.

At the 2018 European Para Swimming Championships in Dublin, Ireland, Stephen won three bronze medals and set two new British records.

In 2019 Stephen claimed his maiden global title with a silver medal in the S12 100m butterfly final.

Stephen represented Team GB at the Paralympic Games for the second time in Tokyo, where he got on the podium 3 times with 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Scott QuinScott Quin

Since making his international debut at the 2011 IPC Swimming European Championships in Berlin, Scott has continued to demonstrate his potential by producing consistent results in his favourite event, the 100m breaststroke SB14.

He won silver medals in that event at the 2014 European and 2015 World Championships, before repeating that success in Rio in 2016 where he took the silver medal in his first Paralympic Games.

Following his first Games, Scott once again claimed silver in his favoured event at a home World Championships in London in 2019.

At the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, he added to his Paralympic medal tally  with a bronze medal, once again in the 100m breaststroke.


Coaching, Education and Training Opportunities

Scottish Swimming offer plenty of Coaching, Education and Learning opportunities for those who would like to inspire the next generation of swimmers in Scotland.

You can find details of all courses and qualifications and how to become a coach here.


Look out for more Spotlight on Swimming content this week on our website and social media channels!