Stefan Hoggan has for many years been a most committed Disability Sport Fife (DSF) member and a superb ambassador for disability sport locally and nationally. Stefan recently decided to stand down from high performance Para sport but retain his involvement in sport as a coach and a member of the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Young Persons Panel.

Stefan’s first swimming teacher at the Fife Sports Institute described him as the fastest learner he ever had the pleasure of working with. Within a couple of weeks of being introduced to the learn to swim programme in the Institute small pool he was swimming on his back and front without support and within a matter of months ready for his first gala.

DSF galas prepared him for SDS national junior championships and a place in the Scottish junior squad for the British Championships soon followed. Stefan enjoyed an illustrious career as a junior and senior Para swimmer and as a member of Carnegie Swimming Club. The dream of Paralympic and Commonwealth Games selection eluded him but it was not through lack of effort and a major commitment by himself and his family.

Stefan then turned his attention to Para triathlon and fully committed to training north and south of the Border and the three disciplines of this very arduous sport. With support from British Triathlon and Triathlon Scotland, Stefan ran in GB colours in a few major international meets and made steady progress during his short time in the sport. His best performance was in his final event and that was on home soil at Strathclyde Park prior to the Rio Paralympic Games. It was not however good enough to push him up the GB rankings and challenge for the one team place that was available.

Yet again the ex Bell Baxter HS pupil had given this project his best shot and along the way mastered two new disciplines to add to his considerable expertise as a swimmer. Some of us were not surprised when he did manage to get to the Rio Games as a guest of a friend and soak up the atmosphere which is synonymous with such a great occasion.

Since standing down from high performance Para sport Stefan has been a busy young man. Swimming teaching and coaching are his new passions and he has been fortunate to secure a lifeguard position with the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. Stefan signed up for the SDS inclusive coach programme, supported by Sports Coach UK and sportscotland. The programme has offered him a coach mentor and access to resources at a critical period of his career.

Having secured his first Scottish Swimming qualification Stefan was fortunate to access six hours of coaching time with Carnegie SC and the Orcas squad. Stefan also hopes to become a swimming teacher with the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and also make use of the coaching qualification he secured while working with Triathlon Scotland . He is already preparing for his next qualification (Level 2 swimming coaching) while at the same time retaining some sessions with Rowlands Pharmacy where he has worked for many years. Stefan is grateful to the support offered by the Pharmacy throughout his high performance sporting career.

Stefan recently was deservedly short listed at the 2017 East Fife Sports Council Awards Evening and is enjoying time away from the intensity of high performance training. Competitive sport has been an important part of his life for almost two decades and during that time he has made many friends and enjoyed many wonderful sporting experiences.

Family is hugely important to Stefan and family members have always played a major role in his life in general and sport specifically. Stefan always has something new on the go and his latest project is running in the Edinburgh Marathon on 28th May to raise funds for Cash for Kids.

DSF wishes Stefan well and congratulates him on a super sporting career to date. As the next chapter of his life unfolds I am certain he will have a successful career as a teacher and coach.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

The 2017 Disability Sport Fife (DSF) cross country championships were held at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. The championships are organised by DSF with considerable support from Fife AC and Kirkcaldy Rugby Club. Primary and Secondary Schools from throughout Fife with Departments for pupils with additional support needs participated as well as Fife AC club members and athletes who attend DSF weekly run, jump and throws sessions.

These were the third Fife Cross Country Championships and numbers have grown steadily over the three year period, culminating in a record registration this year of 133. In 2015, 77 athletes lined up and last year the number rose to 84. Levenmouth Academy, Bell Baxter HS, Madras College, Lochgelly HS, Balwearie HS and Woodmill HS competed for the Russell Hogg Inter Schools Trophy won by Buckhaven HS in 2016. Races were run over 500m, 1K, 2K and 3K.

A large number of Pitreavie Primary pupils took part for the first time. Ruby Jamieson and Tyler Burt won their respective 500m races in 7.01 and 3.35. Rimbleton Primary pupils were taking for the second year over 1K and Joel Robertson, Alexander Scott, Garry Patrick and Walter Donaldson were race winners. Keri MacNicol from Burntisland Primary won the P5 race for physically disabled athletes and Rosslyn pupil Michael Phimister won the 500m race for S1 ASN boys. Other 500m race winners were Jonathan McCormack S1 Balwearie HS, Joy Hutchison S1 Levenmouth Academy, Eilidh Lennox S2 Bell Baxter HS, Shay Dowie S3 Madras College, and Mary Nutman S3 Balwearie HS.

Sophie Coughlin from S1 Bell Baxter HS added the Fife 1K title to the Scottish Championships title won earlier in the month in Glasgow. Sophie’s 1K time was the fastest by a girl on the day. Jenna Richardson S2 Madras College and Mari Davidson S2 Levenmouth Academy won the final two races for S1/S2 girls. Woodmill HS boys dominated the equivalent events for junior boys with Richard Myers S1 and Edwin Barron S2 winning races in 8.23 and 5.45 respectively. Edwin had the fastest 1K time in the junior section.

Scottish Champion Rosalind Penman S3 from Balwearie HS won her race in 7.17, the second fastest time by a girl in the championships. Chloe Hutchison S5 Madras College and Kerry Kotlewski S4 Bell Baxter HS were the final two winners in the girls 1K races. Connor Brown S3 Woodmill HS was the fastest physically disabled athlete over 1K and and Dylon McKay S3 Levenmouth Academy the athlete who recorded the fastest 1K time of the day. Arran Howe S5 Bell Baxter HS won the S4-S6 race and in so doing set the second fastest 1K time of the day.

Louise Ferrier S2 Levenmouth Academy and Holly Jane Gray S4-S6 Madras College won the junior and senior girls 2K titles in 18.25 and 19.48. Allan Wilson S2 Levenmouth Academy was the boys junior champion with a 2K time of 11.37 and Matthew Blair S5 the boys senior champion with the fastest 2K time of the day, 11.20. Appearing in his first Fife Championships, Phillip Callander from West Fife Community Support Services won the senior men’s 2K ASN race and Michael Mellon Pitreavie AAC the equivalent race for senior men with a physical impairment.

Fife AC athletes dominated the Senior Open 3K with Sam Fernando adding the Fife title to the Scottish Championships title he won recently at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. Sam’s Fife AC team mate and 2016 Fife and Scottish Champion Owen Miller, ran a splendid race to finish second. Owen is on his way back following a spell on the sidelines through injury. Their times were 12.58 and 13.11.

The two winning team captains contested the senior boys 3K race with Brandon Eason S6 Balwearie HS finishing two minutes ahead of Richard Allan S4 Levenmouth Academy. The senior men 3K B race was won by the ever improving Carter Taylor Fife AC (15.25) with Ryan Spearman Fife AC and Maurice Paterson Fife AC finishing in second and third place and crossing the line together.

Levenmouth Academy and Balwearie HS shared the honours at the end of the day in the team competition for the Russlel Hogg Trophy with 19 points each and will share the Trophy for the next 12 months.

One photo includes a section of the athletes who took part and the other photo includes representatives from Balwearie HS and Levenmouth Academy only. Michael Mellon presented the Russell Hogg Trophy to the winning captains, Brandon Eason Balwearie HS and Richard Allan Levenmouth Academy.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Forth Valley ‘Right on Target’ Boccia Club would like to extend a warm invitation to clubs, squads and individuals to enter the club’s Open Boccia Championships 2017.

Please download the details and entry form below, and if you wish further information do not hesitate to contact Jean Duncan, Head Coach on 07970 153 103 or email – jeanmd50@gmail.com.

Right on Target looks forward to seeing you on Saturday 17^th June 2017.

Right on Target Open Boccia Champs Entry Form 2017

SDS Central and Forth Valley Disability Sport would like to congratulate Liam Nolan, one of our T20/F20 Forth Valley Flyers athletes, on winning the Highly Commended Sports Achievement award at the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability Awards.

The Learning Disability Award ceremony, hosted at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Friday 19^th May 2017, provided an opportunity to celebrate on a national level the rarely heard stories and achievements of people with learning disabilities and the individuals who support them.

With over 120,000 nominations across all categories it was an outstanding achievement for Liam. View his story in the link below:
https://vimeo.com/217985167

To find out more about disability sport in Central Scotland and how to get involved please contact: Cheryl Willet (SDS RDM) at cheryl.willet@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360

Grangemouth Stadium played host to the annual Forth Valley Disability Sport Junior Athletics Championships on Wednesday 10^th May 2017.  This year saw FVDS’ largest ever entry of 190 children and young people from 16 schools in the Forth Valley area competing in the running, jumping and throwing competitions.

The standard of the competitors was very high as the athletes were not only competing for medals but also to qualify at the Scottish Disability Sport National Junior Athletics Championships to be held at Grangemouth Stadium on Wednesday 14th June 2017.

All athletes received certificates and gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places. Well done to all the medal winners for their performances. With many spectators in the stand the event had a fantastic atmosphere for all.

Event winners were presented with medals by Forth Valley Disability Sport Youth Worker Mitchell Graham and Forth Valley Flyers Club Together Officer Harry Baird.

Carrongrange School retained the overall schools trophy with many excellent individual performances and a score of 392, Wallace High School winning the 2^nd place team trophy with 127 points by one point. Alva Academy won the 3^rd place team trophy with 111 points.

Thanks must go to all the Scottish Athletics officials, Active Stirling, Falkirk Community Trust and Clackmannanshire and Scottish Disability Sport members that helped on the day.

For further information on athletics classes and clubs on offer in your area for children  or adults with physical, sensory and learning disabilities please  telephone Forth Valley Disability Sport on 01786 466486 or email info@fvds.org.uk.

Saturday 17^th June 2017
Crownpoint Track, Crownpoint Rd, Glasgow
11.00am – 4.00pm

Downloads:

• Entry Form 2017
• Event Information

Please consider the list of events on offer and enter athletes accordingly. An athlete should be listed as Ambulant/WC/VI /RR (Race Runner) or LD along with their event and current best time or distance. If athletes are going to Special Olympics National Games and are doing throwing events can you put in weight of implement on the entry form. Athletes can enter a maximum of four events.

Please note the club throw is for athletes with a physical disability only. The softball throw, standing long jump and all walks are again for lesser able athletes who cannot throw javelin, do a running long jump or run any distance.

The entry fee will be £3.00, any cheques to be made payable to Red Star AC. We have applied for a Special Olympics sanction to enable times/distances recorded here to be put forward for National Games in Sheffield.

Please fill out the entry form and send or email along with payment (made payable to Red Star AC) to the above address by Friday 9^th June 2017 to:

Red Star AC
4, Balmoral Drive,
Cambuslang
Glasgow G72 8BG
T: 0141 641 1920 / 07712 624498
E: Janice.eaglesham@btinternet.com

If emailing, can you bring entry fee on the day. Please call mobile or text to check entry has been received .

There will be a Tombola and Raffle on the day.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Janice Eaglesham on the details above.

We look forward to seeing you on the 17^th!

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) recently hosted their annual Disability Track & Field Championships at John Wrights Sports Centre, East Kilbride.  Around 100 pupils representing 5 local schools attended and enjoyed taking part in a variety of athletics disciplines including 60m, 100m, 200m, long jump, shot putt and javelin.

This was the first year that it has been run as a scored event, and the results will be used to choose ‘Team SL’ to go forward and compete at the SDS Junior Track & Field Championships at Grangemouth in June.

SLLC Sports Development Officer Shona Girdwood said “It was great to see so many young athletes here today, trying out track and field events, some of them for the first time.  There were some really impressive performances today and hopefully through participation in future events we can help these young athletes develop further.”

Pictured:  Pupils try out Javelin and Long Jump