It is with great sadness that SDS has learned of the sudden and untimely passing of John de Courcy.

John was a true volunteer and friend to SDS, having been involved with people with a disability from the 1970s to the current time. He was volunteering as recently as last Tuesday, helping to organise the final round of East Cross Country series for young people with a disability.

John was involved with people with a disability from the 1970s, working with people with cerebral palsy at the New Trinity Centre in Edinburgh. He moved on to a post in the University of Edinburgh where he remained until his recent retirement. In this role, John influenced and inspired many undergraduate teachers to include young people with a disability within PE. John always maintained his links with disability sport and although originally involved in wheelchair dance, it was as an extremely accomplished athletics coach that he attended the 1984 and 1988 Paralympic Games in New York and Seoul respectively as a team coach.

 In the 1990s, John coached one of Scotland’s most successful Paralympic athletes, Stephen Payton, to triple world championship/Paralympic gold medals in 1994/96 respectively and holder of three world records over 100/200 and 400. John also supported discus thrower Keith Gardner to achieve success in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics.

 Through the 90s until the present day, John was involved in athletics for people with a disability. He was part of the initial SDS athletics group that worked in partnership with Scottish Athletics to develop the sport for people with a disability. He ran the National squads for athletes with a disability for many years, supporting athletes and coaches to aspire to achieve their full potential. He would also meet individual athletes for one to one coaching sessions. John was always to be seen supporting national and local events where athletes were competing. His influence on many young and developing athletes cannot be overstated.

In 2005 John was the Head Coach to the athletics squad as part of the Scottish Team that travelled to Connecticut, USA to compete in the CPISRA World Games. That team returned home with 13 gold, 14 silver and 7 bronze medals and all those who attended will remember the huge contribution of John to those Games. His encouragements, support and good guidance to all athletes were exceptional as were his team spirit, motivation and wicked sense of humour.

John was also the ‘life and soul’ of the SDS Summer Sports Camp. He has been a key volunteer at the camp since its inception almost eighteen years ago and there are many young people who have benefitted from John’s enthusiasm and encouragement.

Reluctant to accept any accolade or recognition for his achievements, great lengths had to be gone to so as to ensure John arrived at SDS AGM of 2010 to be awarded the  Glasgow Trophy in recognition of his service to disability sport.

Outside of athletics, John supported and mentored many individuals, having a huge influence on many lives. It is perhaps his infectious enthusiasm for helping people, along with his humility that has endeared John to so many. He was a true volunteer and gentleman who gave so much of his time to others. His unassuming manner and willingness to support has had a positive impact on so many people. He will leave a large gap in the world of disability sport in Scotland and be sadly missed.

Ian Mirfin MBE, Paralympic lead for Scottish Athletics said: “John made a massive contribution to athletics for people with a disability and the wider athletics community in Scotland. He will be sadly missed. Our condolences and thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Gavin Macleod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport said: “John was a true gentleman and a committed supporter of Scottish Disability Scotland for many years. He supported many young athletes to meet their full potential and introduced many more to the sport that he loved. He will be sadly missed by all at SDS and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.”

 

Details of funeral arrangements will posted when we have them.

The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games will be held for 10 days from 9 to 18 March, 2018 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, the Republic of Korea. The Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Korea for the first time in 30 years after the Seoul Paralympic Games in 1988. The Games will feature up to 670 athletes, who will compete in 80 medal events across six sports. PyeongChang will be the stage for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and most snow sports. Alpine skiing events will take place in Jeongseon, and all ice sports will be competed in the coastal city of Gangneung.

Four years ago in Sochi, the ParalympicsGB team had their most successful Games of modern times, winning six medals. In PyeongChang, Great Britain will be represented by a team of 17, the largest representation since the Turin Games in 2006, with 7 Scottish athletes within the ParalympicsGB team.

Having won the bronze medal at the Sochi Games, Great Britain’s wheelchair curlers will be among the favourites for the gold medal in PyeongChang. Scots Aileen Neilson (skip), Gregor Ewan, Robert McPherson, Angie Malone MBE and Hugh Nibloe face a difficult opening match against Norway in the round robin section with the medal matches scheduled for the 17^th March.

Glasgow’s Brett Wilde will compete in PyeongChang as guide to Millie Knight with their confidence high following medal success at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. The duo will compete in the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined and Downhill.

ParalympicsGB will also be represented in the sport of Para-Nordic skiing for the first time since 1998 with the news that Scotland’s Scott Meenagh has been selected to compete in both the biathlon and the cross country events in PyeongChang.

 

The opening ceremony for the PyeongChang Games will take place on the 9^th March and in the lead up to the Games, SDS will be profiling all the Scots on the ParalympicsGB team. There will also be regular updates during the Games on this site and on social media so keep your eyes peeled.

Scotland was very well represented at the National RYA Sailability Annual Awards which took place in Bedfordshire on Saturday 17 February 2018.  The Scottish winners, all of whom learnt or do sail at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre in Lochwinnoch, won three of the five awards on offer. It certainly was a fantastic result.

David Hill, Senior Instructor at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre said “I’m really proud of all these guys and the effort they have put in. They are an inspiration to us all and it certainly goes to show that disability is no barrier to success.”

The Young Person of the Year Award went to 16 year old Rory McKinna from Stewarton. Rory learnt to sail at Castle Semple in an accessible dinghy.

Rory’s 2017 Results alone make for impressive reading:

• Scottish TT Hansa 303 Singles Champion
• Scottish Club Trophy Champion
• GB Hansa Nationals 303 Singles Champion
• Winner of the Endeavour Trophy Hansa Nationals
• RYA Multiclass Regatta Hansa 303 Singles Champion
• Silver Medal representing GB at the European Para Youth Games, Genoa, Italy
• GB sailor on World Sailing Para Development Programme, Meze
• Member of UK Hansa team at Hansa European Championships, Meze, France

Rory has been consistently sailing at a high level for a number of years now with some fantastic results in 2017. He learnt to sail at Castle Semple, doing all his RYA courses with the Castle Semple Instructors using one of their accessible Hansa 303 dinghies, he is still a regular for training sessions and at Regatta’s.

He has also moved into mentoring other young sailors with a disability through Castle Semple and Able2Sail and will continue this through 2018 working with the instructors at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park to drive on development and help grow participation in sailing.

The Team of the Year Award went to Able2Sail.  With the help of the outdoor instructors at Castle Semple – using their knowledge, equipment and enthusiasm they trained, supported and encouraged the Scotland West team to double Silver medal place and a bronze at the Special Olympics (SO) in Sheffield in August 2017.

The Team are:

• Jamie Cairns, Student at West College Scotland, Clydebank Campus
• Darren McGregor, Student at Glasgow Kelvin College
• Lewis Nicolson, pupil at Riverbrae School, Linwood
• Mick Kelly, teacher/helper Riverbrae School, Linwood
• Shannon McGhee, Student at West College Scotland, Clydebank Campus
• Laura Carrick Able2sail Youth Co-ordinator
• David Hill, SO Head Coach & Senior Instructor at Clyde Muirshiel

The On the Water Award went to Mary Christison, Renfrewshire Disability Resource Centre (DRC) Paisley for all the effort she puts in to get as many of her members sailing as possible.  As one person said “We would not be on the water without her work“.  The vast majority of the DRC’s on the water activity takes place at Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch.

A very well done to all the award winners, volunteers and their supporters, what inspirational stories.  It all started (and continues!) at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre, Lochwinnoch, Scotland’s only Centre of Excellence for accessible sailing.

IMAGES:

Photo 1 – Group photo of all the Award Winners.

From the left Margaret Riley, Able2Sail Secretary; Shannon McGhee; Jamie Cairns; Laura Carrick; Gerry Campbell, Chair Able2Sail; Darren McGregor; Mick Kelly; Rory McKinna; Lewis Nicolson; David Hill; Craig Holland, DRC Member; Mary Christison.

Photo 2 – Close up of The Award

Photo 3 – Hansa 303’s racing on Castle Semple Loch at Multi-Class Regatta Sept 17. (Craig Holland, DRC, Paisley dark blue sails – won the single hander races, Rory McKinna E Ayrshire, red sails won single hander Scottish Traveller Series 2017 overall )

 

Team Scotland’s selections for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games raced past the 200 mark as a further 92 athletes across 10 sports were announced at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum today (14 February). The list of newly selected athletes includes Olympic and World medallists, defending Commonwealth Games champions and a host of athletes breaking through to make a Commonwealth Games debut.

Olympic champions Katie Archibald and Callum Skinner head a list of 16 Cycling selections, with fellow Olympian, Grant Ferguson, also named. Tandem pairing Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston take to the boards once again, after double silver in Glasgow 2014 while Neil Fachie, double gold medallist four years ago, teams up with Matt Rotherham in the Men’s Tandem events, looking to defend both titles. There is also a raft of young talent on the track with Jack Carlin, Mark Stewart, Jonathan Wale and Neah Evans all medallists on the World Cup circuit in the past two years.

John Archibald, elder brother to Katie, also makes the team following a rapid rise on the track. Better known as a road cyclist, he made the switch in 2017 with the aim of making the Gold Coast Games, a decision that has been vindicated by top results. Most recently brother and sister won Points Race gold on the same weekend at the British Championships.

In Gymnastics, World and Olympic medallist Dan Purvis and reigning British Floor and Vault champion, Frank Baines are the returning members of the team which won a historic silver medal in the Team Event at Glasgow 2014. They are joined by three 19 year-old rising stars; 2017 Scottish All-Around champion Kelvin Cham, double British Championship medallist Hamish Carter and David Weir, who took seven medals at last year’s Scottish Championships including two gold.

After a fifth place in the Team Event in Glasgow, Cara Kennedy leads a women’s trio which includes Shannon Archer, who took four gold, including the All-Around title, at the 2017 Scottish Championships and Scottish Uneven Bars champion, Isabella Tolometti.

Dan Purvis said: “I was so proud and relieved to win the full set of medals in Glasgow, especially with it being a home Games. The biggest medal for me though was the team silver. I felt so proud standing on the podium with my team-mates having created history for Scottish Gymnastics.  It’s something I’ll never forget.