Month: September 2017

60 seconds with a Tayside athlete: Alex Medley

Name: Alex Medley

Branch: Perth & Kinross Disability Sport

Sport: Boccia

Club: Tayside Regional Boccia Squad

How did you get involved in your sport? Went along to No limits Boccia, Crieff and loved it

How long have you been playing your sport for? 16 months

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): Strategy

What’s the best thing about your sport? You can make friends and have fun

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Wheelchair or a chair, Boccia set and Boccia court

Greatest sporting achievement: Coming 4th in the Scottish Open

Favourite Para-athlete: Joshua Rowe

Favourite athlete to compete against: Kyle Latto

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? It doesn’t matter if you don’t win the most important thing is that you have fun.

Wheelchair Curling Talent ID Day

On Saturday 9th September a very successful Wheelchair Curling Talent ID Day was held in partnership with British Curling, Scottish Disability Sport and the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

The athletes were able to enjoy the fresh new surroundings of the National Curling Academy in Stirling. The purpose of the day was to find active athletes from other sports who were looking for a new challenge.

Although numbers were fairly low, athletes enjoyed a presentation from Sheila Swan, Head Coach of the British Wheelchair Paralympic Team covering the aim of the game and various adaptations available, as well as the programme pathway to the Paralympics.  This was followed by some expert coaching from Sheila and Tom Killin, Assistant Coach to the British team and multi Paralympic medal winner.

Every athlete was able to achieve success, with Sheila’s creative thinking finding solutions where required to help. Some athletes were wrapped up warmly for their on ice session whilst others were keen to show how well they could cope with the cold!

Sheila was delighted with the commitment and progress shown in just a short time and is looking to work further with some of the athletes. With the Winter Paralympic Games approaching, we are hoping for an increased interest in wheelchair curling, from grass roots to those with the potential to progress all the way. Any active athletes who are still keen to be considered for wheelchair curling but could not make it to the day, and have a realistic chance of being classified are asked to contact Sheila Swan directly using the details below. For those who just want to have a go at trying wheelchair curling, there are many dedicated clubs around the country, and information can be found on the Curling Factsheet.

sportscotland Institute of Sport
Sheila Swan
T: 07917 183 414
E: sheila.swan@sisport.com

 

Ayrshire Sportsability Boccia Festival

Ayrshire Sportsability held their annual competitive boccia festival on 5th September at The Citadel, Ayr.

Participants from schools all over Ayrshire came along to compete, and the medalists from the day have qualified to compete in the West of Scotland Schools Boccia competition on 19th September at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow.  Ayrshire Sportsability are delighted to support the athletes to get there with funding from the STV Children’s Appeal.

Special thanks go to the Ayrshire College students who volunteered at the event, many of whom had only started college the week before.  This was a great opportunity for them to experience a disability sport event.  Two of the Ayrshire College students were Ross Munro and Reegan Stevenson who are boccia players and play in Glasgow.  They were able to give a boccia masterclass to their fellow students before they attended the event.

ASA is also very grateful to Lynn Allison from SDS for her guidance before after and during the event and Jill Tomlinson from Competitive Sport, South Ayrshire Active Schools who did the groupings on the day.  Lewis McConnell, apprentice boccia coach for SDS, was in attendance to assist the referees.

 

Best Year to Date for Young Fife Para Swimmer

Cameron Hemphill from Ladybank is the most improved young physically disabled swimmer in Fife in 2017. The young Disability Sport Fife (DSF) teenager moved to InCAS to access more training time and under the guidance of coach Garrie Roberts his performances have improved significantly. Cameron is now in third year at Bell Baxter HS and enjoying the challenges of working on his chosen school subjects and of course his swimming.

In May Cameron competed in his first InCAS Distance Meet and recorded his first set of personal bests for 200m freestyle (3.32.09) and 200m backstroke (4.24.09). In Aberdeen in June he competed at the SDS National Performance Championships and set four long course personal bests for 50 Freestyle (46.08), 100 Freestyle (1.41.52), 100m Backstroke (2.14.81) and 100m Breast Stroke (2.16.44).

Cameron was selected by Scottish Swimming for the National Junior Squad for the National Junior Para Swimming Championships in Sunderland and again he set three personal best short course times for 50m Freestyle (43.08), 100m Freestyle (1.32.39) and 100m Breast Stroke (2.10.77).

Cameron was selected for the Scottish Swimming 2017/2018 National Senior Squad Programme and has moved from InCAS Junior National Feeder to National Feeder and consequently increased his weekly training schedule. Cameron is a very committed young Para swimmer and like so many others he is looking forward to the season ahead and offering his best for InCAS, DSF and Scottish Swimming.

First national event will be swimming for Fife at the Scottish Disability Sport National Junior Championships at Grangemouth and thereafter he hopes to gain selection for Scotland for the British National Para Swimming Championships in Manchester in December. Like all successful high performance young sports people Cameron has a very enthusiastic and committed family behind him.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Headwell BC – Another Inclusive Bowls Setting in Fife

Disability Sport Fife identifies bowls as one of the most inclusive sports in the Kingdom and there are many examples of success stories. Community bowling clubs throughout Fife embrace DSF members with such enthusiasm and help them on their way along the well established bowls pathway that has been in existence in Fife for many years.

The Beveridge Park BC and East Fife Indoor BC have played a significant role in supporting the DSF competition programme for over three decades. Top Fife bowlers Gary Handyside and Sam Smeaton are members of Lumphinnans BC and club members are supportive of a novice group from West Fife CSS who practice there weekly. Scottish Champion Wendy Thomson from East Fife CSS is a member of St Andrews BC and since joining she has improved immensely. The link between East Fife CSS and Windygates BC has led to an increase in the number of players with additional support needs playing the game. Fair Isle BC is the home club for several of Fife’s leading visually impaired bowlers and within less than a year of the Dovecot BC development being set up, newcomer Robert Anderson has rocketed to number four in the Fife rankings. Abbeyview BC has a well established reputation in disability bowls development and Strathmiglo BC, Burntisland BC, Cowdenbeath BC and Kinghorn BC have in membership some of the nation’s top para bowlers. Several other clubs are keen to play their part and Fife should be fiercely proud of all that it is doing to promote inclusive bowls across the Kingdom.

In the mid 70s enthusiastic Fife bowler Alex McLean from Kirkcaldy was the first person in Fife to highlight to Disability Sport Fife the possibilities in bowls for players with additional support needs. At the time Alex was the manager of Rosyth ATC. Alex and some of his bowls colleagues from the Kirkcaldy area helped DSF to organise the first Fife Lawn Bowls Championships at Lynebank Hospital in 1976. A few years later the event moved to the Beveridge Park BC where the Championships have remained to this day. At the same time Alex forged links with Headwell BC and several top bowlers soon emerged. The most exceptional has been Pamela Mitchell from Dunfermline who is the current Fife and Scottish Ladies Indoor Champion in the section for players with a learning disability.

Within the past few weeks Headwell BC, West Fife Community Support Services and DSF have come together to deliver quality coaching for novice learners at Headwell BC. A new coaching session has been established, led by club member Chris Osborne, and plans are already in place to consider footwear and equipment purchases. The enthusiastic learners are enjoying their new sport in the welcoming environment of the Headwell Club. There is undoubtedly potential within the group and maybe the 2018 Fife Indoor Championships at the East Fife indoor Club will include a contingent from West Fife CSS/Headwell BC to support Pamela Mitchell. Well done to the committee members at the Headwell Club and club member Chris Osborne in particular for being inclusive in thinking and practice.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Young Fife Boccia Player Continues to Progress

Tyler McLelland from Glenrothes is a relative newcomer to the Paralympic sport of boccia but improves with every competition. Tyler trains at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre and is part of the Disability Sport Fife Youth Squad.

Tyler’s mum Emma is his current coach and with her guidance and early input from Paralympian Kieran Steer plus support from Claire Morrison from GB Boccia, the young BC4 player is making steady progress. Emma successfully completed her Boccia Leadership award this year and later in the year she embarks on her UKCC Level 1 Boccia with support from Scottish Disability Sport and sportscotland. They are a formidable pairing. Tyler is also well supported by Dad Mark and brother Jack.

DSF is trying to build a competition boccia squad around Tyler in the same way as the successful athletics initiative around wheelchair racer Callum Sloan has led to a registration of over 20 junior athletes with physical or sensory impairments. Thanks to financial support from the Order of St John in Fife Tyler has taken possession of a new set of competition boccia balls, purchased in Spain and secured by Claire Morrison from Dalgety Bay on behalf of Tyler. He cannot wait to meet up with Order Members to show them his new boccia balls in action.

Disability Sport Fife is as always pleased to be associated with the long running Discovery Games. Tyler picked up another top three finish in a mixed class competition but most importantly he gained valuable competitive boccia experience.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Bronze for Mary at Japan International

Japan hosted its first ever Para-Badminton event last week, bringing in the strongest competitors to an international event yet.

Scotland had three athletes competing in the event with SL3 players Colin Leslie and Alan Oliver as well as SL4 player Mary Wilson.

In the singles events, Colin and Mary came through their groups to the knock-out stages of the events, Colin losing out in the last 16 in a three-set battle to one of the Japanese home favourites and Mary losing in the quarter finals to German 1st seed.

In doubles events, all three of our competitors were with different partners and in the strongest tournament to date the boys were unlucky to reach the knock-out stages.

Mary secured a bronze with Chinese partner Hefang Cheng after coming through their group in second place. They went on to beat the Japanese second seeds in the quarter finals with an astonishing three-set win: 21-16 16-21 27-25. In the semi-final, they were edged out by 1st seeds from Germany and Norway – 20-22 21-17 21-19 – in another close battle.

In the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles event all three competitors lost out in some very close and tough matches in their groups with none coming through to the knock-out stages.

Our players were also treated to the Yonex Legends Vision tour, where they were treated to an on-court demonstration and games with Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, Peter Gade, Lee Yong Dae and Taufik Hidayat. Mary, after her success in the doubles, was given the opportunity to play some mixed doubles with Taufik Hidayat and the Danish pairing of Peter Gade and SU5 player Cathrine Rosengren.

With the announcement of the classifications for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games being made last week, the standard of Para-Badminton is only going to get much stronger and with limited places in each event it will be a fight to get those spots. Our players have seen and competed on the world’s best stage and must continue to work hard towards the goal of competing in Tokyo in three years’ time.

Fife Bowler is up there with the Very Best

For most people it may be the particular delivery style that singles out Billy Allan from Cowdenbeath from other Scottish Para bowlers? Others may be impressed by his record of selections for IBD World Championships in Malaysia, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and of course the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. There are however other qualities that Billy possesses that rank him up with the leading Para sportsmen and women in the 40 year history of Disability Sport Fife.

Billy looked up to and learned so much from Scotland’s Commonwealth Games gold medalist and Atlanta Paralympic medalist David Heddle from Fraserburgh. Throughout the 90s David dominated the men’s open and year after year Billy reached the final stages but could not topple the great man. 2002 was the year of the Manchester Commonwealth Games and scene of David Heddle’s finest triumph. It was also the final occasion that David won the Scottish Lawn Bowls title. Billy became Scottish Champion in 2003 for the first time and yet again in 2005 and 2007. He then had to wait until 2016 to regain the Dewars Trophy but he has now just completed a treble of victories following his win this year in Aberdeen. David Heddle is the only other bowler to complete the treble in the 38 year history of this event.

Billy Allan is fiercely loyal to Disability Sport Fife and Scottish Disability Sport. He never misses a DSF lawn bowls or carpet bowls National qualifying event and his record in carpet bowls at national level is exceptional. Billy is a fierce but fair competitor and he is a role model for emerging Fife bowlers. DSF values Billy greatly because of his loyalty to the local and national programmes and of course for his considerable skills as a bowler. Billy has been a brilliant servant to Disability Sport Fife and long may he continue.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Fife Teenager Moves to 11th in World Para Swimming

Oliver Carter from Cupar and Carnegie Swimming Club is off to the best start possible for the new swimming season.  Last month at the Fife Championships he lowered the Scottish record for 50m freestyle for the S10 class to 27.04. The previous record of 27.29 was held by five times Paralympian Paul Noble at 27.29. Oliver also set a personal best for 50m backstroke of 32.80.

The young Bell Baxter HS pupil is in his final year and considering his options for next year and beyond. Under the guidance of Carnegie SC Head Coach Morag Mitchell he has moved up the world rankings for 400m freestyle to eleven and is currently a member of the British Swimming Academy and the Scottish Swimming Senior Bronze squad. Oliver’s next major competition will be in December in Manchester.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Derek Rae Runs 10K Personal Best

Congratulations to GB Paralympian Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC who ran a personal best time at the Stirling 10K. Derek’s time of 32.33 is a PB by 7 seconds.

Derek is coached by Ron Morrison at Fife AC and the Stirling 10K is one of three events identified by Ron for Derek in a five week racing block. Weather conditions were particularly challenging in Stirling which makes the time all the more impressive. Derek is already looking forward to event number two in Glasgow.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife