Month: January 2018

West of Scotland Parasport Festival

We are delighted to announce details for the upcoming West Para-port Festival 2018

Date:   Friday 9th March 2018

Time:  10.00am – 3.00pm (9:30am arrival and registration)

Venue: Ravenscraig, Motherwell

The Para-sport Festival is aimed at children who have a physical disability and/or visual impairment who attend mainstream school and are aged between P6 – S6.

This event is designed to allow young people to experience a range of Para-sports delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches available in the West of Scotland.

It provides a range of opportunities for young people to try new and exciting sports and learn more about the pathways that are available in the region. Furthermore, the event will highlight the opportunities for young people with disabilities to achieve at the highest level and hopefully inspire them to become our stars of the future.

Examples of sports that may be on offer are: Athletics, Boccia, Basketball, Football, Rowing, Tennis, Table Tennis etc.

Booking information

To book on please read and complete the information and consent form and return it to Lynn Allison lynn.allison@scottishdisabilitysport.com or Lori Ure lori.ure@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Please click here for consent form.

Please note the closing date is Friday 16th February but places are limited to 100 pupils so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Another Excellent Run for Fife Athlete

Owen Miller from Fife AC ran at the FPSG Scottish National Indoor Open event at the weekend and recorded the second fastest time in his career. Coach Steve Doig was pleased with his time of 4.03.13 for second place in the A race. Owen was beaten by one of his new training partners, Alex Johnston from Pitreavie AAC, who ran 4.02.36 for a 7 second PB.

This is Owen’s best ever time indoors and is his second fastest time ever – beaten only by his 4.02.63 in 2012 prior to the Paralympic Games in London when he was challenging for a place in the British team. Owen was delighted with his quality run for the second weekend in succession.

Coach and athlete have now set new targets for the period ahead. Owen has always believed that one day he will break 4 minutes for 1500 metres. The start he has made this season suggest that he is very much on the right track. Well done yet again Owen.

Photo: many thanks to Bobby Gavin 

 

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

RDA Volunteer helps Rescue Horses in South Africa

In October last year one of Kinfauns Riding for Disabled (RDA) volunteers went to South Africa, for three weeks, to help at the Cintsa non-profit horse rescue centre, who currently have 48 horses in their care.

Prior to going, Clare did some fund raising for the rescue centre as it is a constant battle to feed and care for so many horses. With help from family and friends and many volunteers from Kinfauns RDA they raised just over £1,000.

They also decided to get some second hand horsey things to donate. This took off and that ended up with seven boxes, over 90kgs, of items which then had to be shipped to South Africa. The import regulations and cost were very tricky but some wonderful generous people helped to make it happen. The boxes finally arrived in time for New Year.

Lots of the lovely Kinfauns volunteers supported the fund raising by attending an afternoon tea and many also donated things to send out.

There were two saddles, girths, numnahs, bridles, grooming kits, haynets, bandages, even polo mints, rain sheets, fly masks and many other things.  The local vets were very supportive too.

One of the main ways that the rescue centre raise funds to support itself is by doing trail rides with some of the rescue horses. Angie, from Kinfauns RDA, was a star and donated 16 riding helmets. These will be a fantastic help to the rescue centre.

This is a lovely story of an RDA stables in Scotland, along with many of its volunteers, helping lots of beautiful horses in a rescue centre in South Africa. The rescue is always looking for volunteers so if you would like to donate, or would be interested in an amazing volunteering experience in South Africa, please contact Clare: cfwmarshall@gmail.com for more information.

Cintsa Facebook and web page links – https://www.facebook.com/Cintsa-Horses-The-Newhampshire-Rehabilitation-Centre-198431720199937/ and http://cintsahorses.co.za/

 

Special Present for Young Fife Wheelchair Racer

Niamh Currie from Dunfermline received a very special Christmas present at the end of last year – a brand new colourful racing wheelchair built by Bromakin.

The St Margaret’s Primary School pupil is a member of the Disability Sport Fife (DSF) wheelchair racing squad and has been training and competing in a borrowed DSF chair. Her enthusiasm for the sport prompted her parents to explore options for funding and a grant for £2,500 became available from the Variety Club in Scotland. The family met the shortfall. A very special Christmas present for the young Fife athlete who is coached by Pamela Robson and trains at Pitreavie Athletics Centre.

Chair design is so important to individual athletes for comfort and efficiency. Since she started racing Niamh has pushed in a wheelchair funded by the students at the University of St Andrews Netball Club that was previously used by Callum Sloan before he acquired his new chair. Niamh’s new chair has been measured up for her specifically and she is delighted with all aspects. She will have many enjoyable experiences in her new chair and has already been out and about on numerous occasions including a session with the squad.

Niamh is the second Fife athlete to secure a new racing wheelchair in 2018. This now means that all five squad members have managed to access new racing wheelchairs in the last two years. Most have moved from borrowed chairs. The athletes and Disability Sport Fife are indebted to the many individuals and organisations that have contributed almost £20,000 of funding to support the squad members over the past months.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Support SDS in 2018

If you are thinking of completing a personal challenge during 2018 please consider supporting Scottish Disability Sport.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) relies heavily on the generous financial support we receive in the form of donations or sponsorship. This essential support allows us to increase opportunities for disabled people in Scotland to access sport and ultimately change lives.

Your support can help us to change perceptions, change lives and create heroes!

Find out more on our fundraising page here: https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/scottishdisabilitysport

 

Magnificent PB by Fife’s Owen Miller

By his own high standards last year was quiet for Owen Miller from Fife AC. Winter training has gone well under the direction of coach Steve Doig and he has had the best start of any season to date, running indoors in Glasgow.

At the BMC/Glasgow AA Metric Miler Meeting, that incorporates the Scottish 3000m championships, the Dunfermline athlete ran 8:49.00 for a personal best by 8 seconds. Brilliant run Owen and all the very best for the remainder of the season.

 

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Proud Owner of a New Racing Wheelchair

Congratulations to Graham McIntyre from Leven who has successfully secured all the money required to purchase a new Bromakin racing wheelchair. Graham is indebted to all his friends and family who contributed £2,000 through the Disability Sport Fife MyDonate page to meet almost half the total costs. Graham is hopeful that he will be able to announce in the near future the name of a key financial supporter for a further £2,000.

Graham joined other members of the Disability Sport Fife wheelchair racing squad and coach Pamela Robson on Thursday evening at Pitreavie for the first run out in his new chair (it was said however that he was a little concerned it would rain and his new chair might get wet). Somehow I do not believe that attitude will last too long.

Graham has been training and racing in a borrowed wheelchair from Scottish Athletics for almost a year. His influence on the other squad members has been entirely positive and the progress he has made on the track in particular has been exceptional. There are high expectations that training and racing in a bespoke chair will lead to more comfortable pushing and ultimately improved racing times. Graham and the other Fife squad members have been inspired by world champion Sammi Kinghorn and coach Ian Mirfin MBE plus of course their own coach Pamela Robson.

Graham is keen for me thank everybody who contributed to his fund raising efforts for their generosity and thoughtfulness. We shall watch this young man’s progress with interest over the season ahead.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

 

Craig Carscadden MBE for Services to Athletes

SDS would like to congratulate fellow Scot Craig Carscadden, Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) Head of Development who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for his service to athletes with disabilities. Craig, has achieved this honour through his various volunteer roles with disability sport organisations and coaching athletes. As a volunteer with CPISRA for over 12 years, Craig’s contribution has been immense; firstly, as Athletics Technical Officer; then Development and Education Officer; and currently as Head of Development and Education and Board Member.

Craig started his involvement with disability sport as an athlete. He was a middle distance competitive athlete competing in the 1996 Paralympics who continued his involvement in sport by being a Middle Distance Coach for the Great Britain Team in the 2000 Sydney and the 2004 Athens Paralympics. Craig is still involved in coaching today as a senior Endurance Coach for a Running Club in England.

During the ten-year period of 1998 – 2008, Craig was Athletics Co-ordinator for Cerebral Palsy Sport England. His roles were organising coaching for athletes of all levels of ability and planning competitions at national level including the successful Grand Prix series. Additionally, Craig was on the IPC athletics committee for 6 years. As an active member of this committee, he provided constructive input to determine the competition programme and qualifying standards for both 2006 World Championships and 2008 Paralympics.

Craig has led CPISRA development of adaptive sports for a number of years and through his leadership, guidance and often significant direct contribution has evolved structured and real opportunities for different types of disability impairment, thereby creating competitive sports participation including pathway to elite international competition for groups of people that would otherwise not have had such opportunity. Craig has been responsible for developing classification systems for RaceRunning and table cricket. He has also developed rules and regulations for RaceRunning and Slalom and carried out numerous coaching clinics. Craig’s contribution to CPISRA has literally resulted in increased opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy around the world.

ParalympicsGB select curlers for PyeongChang 2018

The British Paralympic Association (BPA) has announced five Scottish wheelchair curlers to represent ParalympicsGB at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Winter Games take place from March 9-18.

Four of the team that claimed bronze at Sochi 2014 are returning to the Paralympic stage with skip Aileen Neilson contesting her third Games, Gregor Ewan and Robert McPherson making their second appearances, while Angie Malone MBE is set to take part in her fourth Games.

Malone has competed at every Games since the sport made its debut at Turin in 2006. She won silver on that occasion, as well as bronze in Sochi, making her GB’s most decorated Paralympic curler.

Hugh Nibloe is set to make his Games debut

The team will compete at the Gangeung Curling Centre in PyeongChang, the venue where the same group claimed a bronze medal for Scotland at the Wheelchair Curling World Championships in 2017.

Aileen Neilson said: “I’m delighted to be leading this team into the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. We have all worked so hard over this cycle and are ready to return to Paralympic competition to take on the best in the world.

“We know the venue well after the World Championships and I am confident that the experience and resilience in this team means that we can go and perform at a very high level.”

Hugh Nibloe said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB at my first Paralympic Winter Games. We have a really positive team dynamic and have enjoyed a really encouraging start to the season, beating many of our strongest rivals.

“We’ve proven that we can compete at the highest level and we’re heading to Korea to show exactly what we can do.”

The news increases the Scottish representation at the Games to six, following the announcement of Glasgow’s Brett Wild, who will guide Millie Knight in Para-skiing.

Selected Wheelchair Curlers:

Gregor Ewan, 46, Elgin

Angie Malone MBE, 52, Glasgow

Robert McPherson, 49, Bellshill

Aileen Neilson MBE, 45, Strathaven

Hugh Nibloe, 35, Stranraer