Month: November 2016

Group photo of competitors Stuart Bowler, James Hamilton, Mark Telford, Dave Rhoney, Pauline Gallagher, Sarah Bailie, Joanna Martin and Coach John Blair

Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships 2016

The Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships were held on Saturday 29th October, Bellahouston, Glasgow.  The championships are an annual event that attracts competitors from rowing and non-rowing backgrounds from across the UK and Europe.

The rowing championships offers inclusive competition opportunities for para rowers who also compete within the mainstream championships.

Individual competitors raced in the male and female adapted 1kilometre event in the quickest possible time. It provides a stage for indoor rowing enthusiasts to test themselves on a national level and assess their own performance and progress.

Pictured above with John Blair from Scottish Rowing are members of the Phoenix Rowing Club who competed at the event, some for the first time, some to beat their Personal Best and row for selection for Scottish Squads and Invictus Games 2017.

For further information please have a look at the fact file and the video fact file.

If you or anyone you know has a disability and would like to get involved in rowing telephone Scottish Disability Sport or alternatively email admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Results listed below for the male and female adapted 1km event.

Race 23 – M & W Adaptive 1k

Stuart Bowler – Scottish Rowing Centre – M Adapt LTA 1k:  03:52.6, 1000, 01:56.3
James Hamilton – Help4Heroes – M Adapt AS 1k: 04:29.9, 1000, 02:14.9
Mark Telford – Redneck Racing: 04:47.1, 1000, 02:23.5
Dave Rhoney – Help4Heroes – M Adapt AS 1k: 05:21.7, 1000, 02:40.9
Pauline Gallagher – Greenock Crossfit – W Adapt LTA 1k: 05:06.7, 1000, 02:33.3
Sarah Baillie –  – W Adapt AS 1k: 05:42.6, 1000, 02:51.3
Joanna Martin – Help4Heroes – W Adapt AS 1k: 06:45.7, 1000, 03:22.8

Scottish Rowing’s video of the event can be seen here.

Aileen Neilson

Scots Ready for World Wheelchair Curling Qualifier

Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games bronze medalist Aileen Neilson will skip the Scotland team as they take to the ice at the World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship (WWhBCC) in Lohja, Finland this weekend. Aileen will play alongside team-mates Gregor Ewan (third), Hugh Nibloe (second), Robert McPherson (lead) and Angie Malone (alternate) in Finland.

The  WWhBCC will be held from 4-10 November at the Kisakallio Sports Institute with a record 16 international teams taking part. The teams will battle for the final two remaining spots at the 2017 World Wheelchair Curling Championship (WWhCC) which will be held in Pyeong Chang, South Korea.

The teams taking part are split into two groups with Scotland featuring in Group A:

Group A: England, Israel, Italy, Scotland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey.

Group B: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Chinese Taipei.

Slovakia and Finland, who were both relegated from the 2016 WWhCC in Lucerne, Switzerland, will be amongst the favourites in Finland and there will be international debuts for the teams from Chinese Taipei and Turkey.

Both groups will play a round-robin stage beginning on Friday 4 November, with the top three teams from each group proceeding to the play-off stages. If required, teams will play one round of tie-breakers at 14.00 on Wednesday 9 November, to determine the final rankings. The top ranked team from each group will progress directly to the semi-finals taking place at 09.30 on Thursday 10 November. The second and third placed teams will play a qualification round at 18.30 on Wednesday 9 November for the remaining semi-final places.

The semi-final winners will qualify for the WWhCC 2017 and play for the gold and silver medals, while the semi-final losers will compete for bronze medals. Both medal games take place at 14.30 on Thursday 10 November.

The WWhCC 2017 is the last qualification event for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, to be held in PyeongChang, Korea from 9-18 March.

To keep up-to-date with all the action from Finland follow the World Curling Federation on Twitter, Instagram (@worldcurling) and Facebook (/WorldCurlingFederation) and use the hashtags: #WWhCC2017 #Roadto2018 #curling.

Libby Clegg and Chris Clark

Six Scots named on British Athletics WCPP

With the Paralympic Games in Rio now over individual sports seek to identify the athletes that will receive high performance funding as we head into the next Paralympic cycle.  British Athletics have announced the athletes that will receive this funding, which is provided by the National Lottery through UK Sport, with emphasis based on winning medals at a Paralympic Games.  Consideration will have also been given to those athletes with the potential to medal at the IPC World Championships being held in London 2017.

SDS wish to congratulate Jo Butterfield, Libby Clegg, Maria Lyle, Stef Reid, Sammi Kinghorn and Derek Rae who have been announced on the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP).  This is split into two levels: Podium (for athletes with the potential to win medals at Tokyo 2020) and Podium Potential (for athletes developing towards Tokyo 2020 and the Paralympics in 2024).

Podium

Libby Clegg
Jo Butterfield
Stef Reid
Maria Lyle

Podium Potential

Sammi Kinghorn
Derek Rae

A full report can be found on the British athletics website:

http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2016-news-page/november-2016/02-11-16-wcpp-2016-17/

 

Female wheelchair basketball player throwing the ball with other players in the background

Central Parasport Festival 2016 – A Huge Success

The 2016 Central Parasport Festival was a great success, seeing 44 children with physical and sensory impairments taking part at Grangemouth Sports Complex. Pupils from P1 – S6 in mainstream schools travelled from across Central Scotland to take part in boccia, tennis, swimming, athletics, football, bowls and basketball delivered by local sports clubs, national coaches and GB athletes.

The event was a great triumph, with numbers doubling from previous years. Strong partnerships with Forth Valley Disability Sport, Active Stirling, Falkirk Community Trust and Clackmannanshire Council supported the identification of pupils attending this year’s event. A workshop was also held by Richard Brickley MBE for parents, PE teachers and Active Schools coordinators to gain additional insight into subjects such as disability inclusion, pathways and classification.

Inspirational speeches closed the event from local para athletes Laura Cluxton (2014 Commonwealth visually impaired cyclist) and Meggan Dawson Farrell (2014 Commonwealth wheelchair racer). These athletes hoped to inspire the next generation of athletes from the Central belt.

Cheryl Willet, Central Regional Development Manager, said: “The event was a great success and a worthwhile experience for not only many pupils engaging in sports they may never have tried before, but also their parents and teachers. The message is certainly getting out there that the pathway from participation to performance for athletes with a disability is in place within Central, from a local level to an international level.  Most of all, it has been great to see so many pupils with a physical and sensory disability in mainstream schools engage in the sports, have fun, and potentially move up the pathway.”

A special thank you to Forth Valley Disability Sport, Active Stirling, Falkirk Community Trust, Clackmannanshire Council, Scottish Athletics, Tennis Scotland, Scottish Swimming, Basketball Scotland, Forth Valley Flyers, Right on Target Boccia Club, Falkirk indoor Bowling club, Falkirk Football Club, sportscotland and Grangemouth Sports Complex for their support.

To find out more about this event or disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact:

Cheryl Willet – cheryl.willet@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360

[supsystic-gallery id=’20’]

Deaf swimmers in the pool

NDCS – First Scottish Deaf-Friendly Swimming Gala

The National Deaf Children’s Society and North Lanarkshire Leisure are teaming up to hold a deaf-friendly swimming gala in Airdrie.

Swimmers will have the opportunity to meet deaf role models, take part in a swimming ‘master class’ and put their skills into action in the deaf-friendly swimming gala!

This is an exciting opportunity for deaf swimmers to meet, have fun and compete together in a friendly and supportive environment. Young people must be able to swim 25 metres+. No previous competitive experience necessary.

  • John Smith Pool, Airdrie, ML6 0AH
  • Saturday 19 November 2016
  • 1:30pm – 5:00pm
  • Communication support provided by NDCS
  • Parents/carers must be present throughout
  • Free!

The recommended age for this event is 8-18 but younger swimmers are welcome to take part if they can confidently swim 25 metres+. Hearing siblings welcome.

To find out more or to book a place, please contact:

Eleanor Connelly, Swimming Development Officer
0141 354 7850
http://bit.ly/DFSgala
swimming@ndcs.org.uk

Deaf-Friendly Swimming Gala Entry Form Download