SportExcelUK is proud to announce the athletics team competing at the 2023 Virtus Global Games in Vichy, France 2nd to 11th June.

Sam Fernando (Fife, Steve Doig), Steven Bryce (Victoria Park, Glasgow, Steve Doig), Matthew Power (Livingston, Celia Peerless), Joel Mattacks (Bath, Phil Warwicker) and Faye Olszowka (Bexley, Coral Nourrice), are set to take Vichy by storm in what will be a tough world class event. The Team is led by GB Team Manager/Head Coach Steve Doig and supported by GB coach Kevin Manning with Liz Power (Escort).

In his Virtus (T/F20) international debut, Joel Mattacks said: “I’m honoured to be selected – we’ve been working for so long to get here so to have my first senior international GB call up at such a big Championships is huge, especially after having to miss last season through injury makes it even better.”

Joel Mattacks continues, “It’s been a long journey, with so many setbacks over the last 13 years since starting athletics and honestly, I could never have dreamed of being where I am now so am extremely grateful. I was never the quickest in the group when I joined at the start and am still far from where I want to be but the one thing I’ve had told to me all this time was that ‘hard work pays’, and that if you want something hard enough you’ve got to work for it.”

Steve Doig, GB Team Manager/Head Coach said: “It’s an honour to be asked to work alongside such a talented group of athletes. Each and every one of them makes a great commitment to the sport and their selection for this event is reward for the hours of work they have put in. I’m excited to see what they can achieve in Vichy.”

Tracey McCillen, Chief Executive, SportExcelUK said: “I couldn’t be more excited at our return to the Virtus Global Games. Sport was hit hard by the pandemic, and our athletes were amongst some of the hardest hit. To return to the elite stage with a strong GB Team to France really is a milestone. Good luck to each athlete, we did well in the 2019 Games in Brisbane, so I can’t wait to see the Brits in action again, not just in athletics but across a total of six sports!”

The Virtus Global Games is the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment. Athletes from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania will perform across ten main sports, with over 1200 athletes expected. Demonstration events are also included at every edition to reflect the most popular sports of the host nation that are not already on the Virtus programme.

Many athletes who have made their major international debut at the Global Games have gone on to win Paralympic titles. The event, hosted by the VIRTUS Member Organisation for France – the Fédération Française du Sport Adapté (FFSA) is scheduled every 4 years in the year ahead of the Paralympic Games.

British athletes will compete in the 2023 Global Games in athletics, para-dressage, judo, karate, swimming, and tennis. The team is presented by SportExcelUK in collaboration with Down Syndrome Swimming GB, British Judo Association, Lawn Tennis Association, and the British Karate Federation, with selection supported by Home Country NGBs in swimming and athletics.

SportExcelUK promotes, supports, and facilitates talented sports people in the UK to train, compete and excel in national and international sport. It is the only official Great Britain member of Virtus is responsible for and manages eligibility and classification across the UK and manages GB Teams to Virtus events.

SDS Regional Manager Gary McDonald attended the recent west open disability badminton tournament and had this to say about the great day supporting the participants:

“The West Disability badminton event at Scotstoun was a complete success! The whole day flowed very well, and it was great to see so many participants competing. I was very proud to represent SDS at the event and happy to support more badminton events in the near future.”

2023 West Open Disability Badminton Tournament: Round Up | Badminton Scotland | Play, Compete & Coach badminton in Scotland

SDS are delighted to work in partnership with Össur Academy mobility clinic. The event is being held in Glasgow Emirates arena on Saturday 24^th June from 10am-3pm. Any participants with a lower or upper absence can attend and is an excellent way to socialise with other people with an amputee. Please see the attached flyer to register and join the event.

Sign up flyer

After the recent success for the 50th anniversary for the Senior Championship aimed at athletes with a physical, hearing or vision impairment, it is now time to celebrate our championships aimed at swimmers with a Learning Disability which also started back in 1973.

Are you a previous athlete who has came through the Senior Learning Disability Championships at SDS in the last 50 years and have memories you would like to share of these events?

Are you a senior swimmer who would love to come and compete, or even come out of retirement to swim at this exciting event?

We would love to hear from you.  Email: events@scottishdisabilitysport.com  or contact your local branch for further information.

For more information on this swimming event and other events please go to Events – Swimming (scottishdisabilitysport.com)

 

 

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) has announced the 2023-24 Athlete Academy. The athlete academy aims to supplement the continued development of the most promising and talented para-athletes at a pivotal stage in their athlete journey.

Each athlete received a funding grant, and will also receive key elements of performance education to support their progression into high performance sport.

SDS work closely various partners to develop a programme of workshops and training opportunities to best prepare the athletes for when they progress to a UK Sport funded programme or equivalent.

The SDS athlete Academy was relaunched in 2021 and has ran an annual programme for athletes since thanks to a partnership with independent charity SportsAid Scotland.

Many of the athletes are targeting the Paralympic Games and Commonwealth Games and SportsAid Scotland have been assisted in their support through The Robertson Trust.

The programme is open to Scottish Governing Body (SGB) or National Governing Body (NGB) athletes with the potential to succeed at national and International level.

Athletes are selected based on strict criteria relating to performance levels, attitude to training and commitment to their sport. Each athlete must be eligible to compete for Scotland and the selection criteria is aligned with that of SportsAid Scotland.

The 2023-24 intake includes 23 athletes across 11 sports – details below.

Jennifer Barsby, SDS Performance Manager, commented: “It is great to be able to support para athletes at an important stage in their sporting journey with funding and a programme of education that will provide the tools to aid their progression through the pathway. We are delighted to be able to run the programme again for 23 athletes across 11 sports in partnership with SportsAid Scotland and to have the backing of their Governing Bodies.”

Roddy Mackenzie, SportsAid Scotland Chief Executive, said: “We are more than happy to continue our partnership which has been rewarding on both sides. We know how committed Scotland’s top athletes are but para-athletes are on a different level and we have huge admiration for what they do and the fantastic work done by Scottish Disability Sport.”

Samantha Gough, Goalball Athlete, said: “I am very grateful to be a part of the SDS Athlete Academy. Being surrounded by athletes like myself determined and motivated to reach the top and achieve goals that we set ourselves. The academy supports athletes with their mindset and focusing on parts of our job that can be challenging such as keeping your head in game. We aim to achieve the best version of ourselves as an elite athlete with the support of the SDS athlete academy .”

For further information, please see below:

Athlete	Sport	Region
Adam Donnachie	Athletics	South Lanarkshire
Sean Frame	Athletics	Dumfries & Galloway
Freya Howgate	Athletics	Perth & Kinross
Colin Leslie	Badminton	Midlothian
Mary Wilson	Badminton	Edinburgh
Ben Leich	Basketball	Perth & Kinross
Lynsey Speirs	Basketball	Derby
Lewis McConnell	Boccia	East Renfrewshire
Paul McIntyre	Boccia	Stirling
Scott McIntyre	Boccia	Stirling
Ross Munro	Boccia	East Renfrewshire
Ross MacNeil	Boccia	North Lanarkshire
Hannah Craig	Boccia	Dundee
Tyler Mclelland	Boccia	Fife
Samantha Gough	Goalball	Midlothian
Kirsten Taylor	Judo	Angus
Jake Woods	Rowing	Glasgow
Gemma Lumsdaine	Rugby	Dundee
Mike Drever	Shooting	Fife
Bronwen Livingstone	Shooting	Glasgow
Keith Whyte	Shooting	Edinburgh
Rory McKinna	Sailing	East Ayrshire
Robyn Love	Tennis	Manchester