This month we are getting to know a little bit more about two more of the SDS Young Persons Sport Panel – Murran Mackay from Angus and Matthew Wynne from East Renfrewshire
Matthew asked Murran a few questions below to find out a bit more about her…
How did you get involved in your chosen sport, and if so, do you play any others?
I got involved in wheelchair racing as I was seeing a lot of other people do it on the tv and I thought I looked really fun so thought I would give it a try and have been doing it for 6 years now. I also play wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair rugby with the Dundee Dragons.
What do you do outside of sports?
Outside of sports I am a full time student at college and I am studying early education and childcare, I also like to do some diamonds paintings, and having different quiz nights during the week with my other teams that I train with in my own time when I am not doing sports or I am not doing any college work.
What has playing in a disability environment given you?
Being involved in a disability environment has given me lots of different opportunities to be able to get active and also being able to meet other people who are in a similar situation to me who are able to understand a lot of things that I go through in my day to day life.
Who is your role model(s)?
I would have to say that Megan Dawson Farrell would have to be one of my role models as she was the one who I looked up to before starting my wheelchair racing journey and she really helped me to get started with it just by me seeing her in action on the track and her allowing me to try her racing wheelchair to see if racing is actually something I would want to do.
What are your aspirations for the future?
My main aspiration for the future would to become an athletics coach so that I can give and teach all my knowledge that I have learnt over the years in my wheelchair racing journey to other people who are aspiring to become athletes themselves
What would you like to achieve with your time at the Young Persons Sport Panel?
Being in the Young Person Sport Panel I would like to be able to be able to gain more knowledge within sports so that I am able to use that for when I go to plan different activities and sessions for my future coaching that I do and also gaining more confidence in myself and learn to believe in myself that I am able to go coach children and young people so that they are able to become the athletes that they aspire to be in the pre future sporting journeys.
Murran asks Matthew a few questions below to find out a bit more about him…
How did you get involved in your chosen sport, and if so, do you play any others?
I have been fortunate to have had a number of opportunities to embrace involvement in disability sports through Sports Disability Scotland. When I started secondary school, I engaged in the Parasport Pathway events. I always loved the events and enjoyed trying out a number of sports.
I became a member of the West of Scotland Football team aged 12 and trained with them weekly and in my mid-teens began playing in tournaments and the Pan Disability League.
I have now played for the Scottish National CP Football Team for 5-6 years and have enjoyed playing in number of national and international competitions.
What do you do outside of sport?
During my free time I enjoy partaking in casual rounds of golf. Hopefully over the summer I can get a handicap and begin to start playing more seriously. To keep myself active during lockdown, I started cycling locally and then further afield, and during my off time I enjoy watching box sets.
What has playing in a disabled environment given you?
Playing for the Scotland National CP Football Team has given me some great opportunities to travel and compete nationally and internationally.
Perhaps most importantly, it has also given me the chance to interact and form friendships with my teammates who have gone through similar life experiences and have faced similar challenges. This has had a significant impact in my life in terms of feeling part of a network of peers and has helped me to grow to accept my disability and the fact that CP does not define me as an individual.
Who is your role model(s)?
In terms of everyday life both my parents are my role models, they raised me with a solid foundation and that you will get out of something what you put into it. They also inspire me to not hold back and live my life to the fullest. In terms of my sport, my idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, the guy is a machine! I admire his total dedication to health, fitness, and his craft as well as all the charity work he does quietly.
What are your aspirations for the future?
Prior to joining the Scotland CP team, I only really saw competing in the Olympics and Paralympics as a dream. Now that I am a part of the team my dream can come true, however I still have a long way to go, and I will continually work to achieve it.
What would you like to achieve with your time at the Young Persons Sport Panel?
During my time at the young sport panel, I would like to promote disability sport for all ages. Prior to the pathway events that I participated in I only ever played mainstream sports, As I grew older much of the time when I was playing sports I just was not on the same level physically to compete with my peers who did not have a disability. This for me personally, affected my confidence and self-perception in a number of ways. By experiencing this myself I would not want this for anyone else to experience therefore promoting disabled sport for all ages is my main priority.
