Month: April 2018

McGuire Secures Double Gold in Montreal

Scotland’s Stephen McGuire won double gold in the BC4 singles and pairs of the BISFed World Open in Montreal.

McGuire – the world and European champion in his BC4 class – beat Canada’s Alison Levine in the final to take gold.  Earlier in the competition he, and playing partner, Evie Edwards defeated Columbia 5-0 in the pairs final.

Scotland also had representation in the BC3 classification, with Scot McCowan, Jamie McCowan and Patrick Wilson all in action.  The trio formed part of a successful GBR pair’s team that delivered a Bronze medal after defeating Hong Kong in the play-off.

Jamie McCowan and Patrick Wilson were also in the singles competition and both players progressed from the group stages.  However, they were knocked out in the quarter finals after defeats to Hansoo Kim (KOR) and Yuen Kei Ho (HKG) respectively.

The tournament is one of the key events ahead of August’s World Championships in Liverpool.

East Tennis Player Selected to Represent GB

East Lothian tennis player Luke Turnbull has been selected to represent Great Britain at the upcoming INAS World Tennis Championships set to be held in Paris, 14th – 22nd July 2018.

The Tennis Championships will delivered within the INAS European Games, which will welcome around 1000 participants in sports including Athletics, Basketball, Rowing, Swimming and of course Tennis.

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) helps more than 300,000 of the world’s best athletes to compete in a variety of winter and summer sports and organises International competitions such as the World and European Championships.

Luke, 14 years old, has been playing tennis for over 7 years but has only recently become involved with the learning disability programme over the last 12-18 months and has made a incredible impression during this time, culminating in his recent selection for Great Britain providing the opportunity to play Tennis in one of the most iconic cities in the world.

The North Berwick High School student currently plays for the North Berwick Men’s 1st Team and for St Serf’s U16 and U18 junior teams, claiming the Division 1 Championship last year.  During his time at U14 level, Luke was ranked as high as number 5 in Scotland.

The East of Scotland youngster is now part of the GB Performance Squad for players with an intellectual impairment and will be hoping to continue his impressive progression through the disability form of the sport and achieve some good results in Paris.

Young Start Programme Residential

What a positive, engaging and fun two days at Inverclyde for the first ever residential for the Young Start programme.

This involved coach mentees and the SDS Young Persons Sport Panel members, made possible by a grant from the Big Lottery Young Start Fund, and is a two year programme to mentor athletes to become coaches.

It was a fruitful and productive two days with workshops in leadership, influencing and communication. Though these workshops participants were given the opportunity to gain qualifications and learn new skills. This will help the group to become future coaches and leaders of the Young Start and Young Peoples Sports Panel. The young people shaped this agenda to meet their needs, aspirations and skills they wanted to develop further.

Aileen Neilson, GB Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Skip, joined the group on day 2 of the residential and was hugely influential in demonstrating, resilience, leadership and how to make the most best of all situations and instilling a can do attitude.

“I was blown away by the confidence, ethos, and atmosphere of the group. There is a great friendship and camaraderie that is apparent within the group as well as being athletes and coaches across a variety of sports.”

SDS are delighted to welcome Aileen as an ambassador of the Young Start programme and are looking forward to working with Aileen over the next 18 months of the programme.

Young Start member Hope Gordon said: “I learnt a lot from the weekend and it was great to work with the group for a longer period of time. I thought the workshops helped us improve the skills of leadership and communication and I hope to use the presentation and influencing skills moving forward with my involvement in the programme.”

The Young Persons Sport Panel will meet again in June and the Young Start Mentees will continue their mentoring and coaching programme before coming together as a bigger group in October.

First Fife Short Tennis Tournament

As part of the Annual Fife Sports Festival organised by Disability Sport Fife and supported by Fife Council and Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, a short tennis tournament was added to the programme for the first time.

The tournament marked the end of the 2018 Festival and as always the events were enjoyed by all those who took part. Sadly because of terrible weather the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre was closed for several days and the Swimming Championships did not take place for the first time since 1975.

Despite this major disappointment for all concerned there was a full programme held over four weeks involving around 500 participants. Sports included were – football 5s, football 7s, walking football, unihoc, table tennis, boccia, badminton, tug of war, archery, basketball, soft netball and short tennis. Junior and senior participants with physical, sensory or learning disabilities took part.

DSF coach Euan Bell coordinated the arrangements for the short tennis tournament and the results were as follows:

Division 3 – Women

Winner – Caitlin de Soyza
Runner up – Briony Clark

Division 2 – Juniors

Winner – Josh Foy
Runner up – Findlay Davidson

Division 3 – Senior Men

Winner – Robert Anderson
Runner up – Steven Anderson

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Para Triathlon Opportunity Coming to East of Scotland

Triathlon Scotland and partners (Scottish Disability Sport, Lothian Disability Sport, West Lothian Council and GRC & West Lothian Triathlon Clubs) are pleased to host a Disability Triathlon event at Armadale Academy on Sunday 20th May 2018.

The event is a ‘come and try’ event designed for athletes with a disability of any kind to try the sport of triathlon in a fun, supported and relaxed environment.  The course is all contained on the grounds of Armadale Academy where there is plenty of space for athlete support and spectators.  Each participant will receive a medal on completion of the race as a race day memento.

There will be three distances offered at the event, offering an opportunity for participants who are completely new to the event through to athletes who have tried the sport before.  Distances can be found below –

Event Swim Cycle Run
Short 100m 800m 350m
Medium 200m 1600m 700m
Long 300m 2400m 1050m

A number of Para Triathlon events have been delivered over the last couple of years, successfully introducing individuals with a disability to the sport of the triathlon.  The aim of these events is to provide an introduction to the sport and then support any interested individuals into regular club sessions.

If you interested in this opportunity then entries can be accessed by following the link below –

https://www.entrycentral.com/eastpara18

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Triathlon Scotland Development Manager, Calum Reid at calumreid@triathlonscotland.org or on 01786466903.

Additionally, more information on disability triathlon can be found by following the link below –

http://www.triathlonscotland.org/get-active/getting-in-to-disability-tri/

New Para Badminton Opportunity in East Renfrewshire

Maccabi Badminton Club located in Giffnock,  in partnership with Badminton Scotland, Scottish Disability Sport, East Renfrewshire Leisure and East Renfrewshire Active Schools,  is offering the opportunity of a new Para Badminton section of the club.  The new session is open to anyone aged 12 and over, with a physical, learning or sensory impairment.

This is a great opportunity for getting involved in physical activity, learning new skills and meeting new people.

If you are interested, or know anyone who would like to play, please see the attached flyer and spread the word!

Scottish Swimming Chairperson, Board of Directors

Scottish Swimming seeks a committed individual with a passion for sport in Scotland to fulfil the vacancy of Chairperson of the sport’s Board of Directors.  Working as part of a team, the successful candidate will have an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the sport and possess the necessary leadership qualities to drive the strategic direction of Scottish Swimming.

As Chairperson of the Board of Directors you will contribute to the strategic running of the Company and focus on the following specific tasks, in addition to the tasks outlined for a Board Director:

  • Provide a mentoring role to the Chief Executive.
  • Oversee the work of the Chief Executive, including leading the Chief Executive Appraisal process.
  • Have overall responsibility for corporate governance issues, including financial matters, legal issues, risk management and child Wellbeing cases.
  • Deal with emergency issues referred by the Chief Executive.
  • Carry out annual appraisals for all Board Directors and agree Director Objectives in line with the needs of the business.
  • Develop, in conjunction with the Chief Executive, external relations with appropriate partners.

This challenging role will suit highly motivated and committed individuals, who feel they can make a positive contribution to Scottish Swimming’s future and are available to attend up to six Board meetings per year, normally held in Stirling. In addition, you will also attend two Council meetings per year.

You will also be expected to become a Director on the Board of British Swimming and represent the Company in dealings with British Swimming (circa 6 overnight British Swimming Board meetings per year, generally held in England).

Scottish Swimming is committed to selecting Board Directors solely on the basis of their ability to do the job for which they are being recruited, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

For further information and a recruitment/application pack please go to the Scottish Swimming website at www.scottishswimming.com

Closing date for applications:  16th May 2018

Interviews:  afternoon/early evening of 27th May 2018 in Stirling

Scottish Women Triumph in Sporting Debut

Women from Aberdeen joined the newly-formed Scottish Womens Warriors 2 team this year to compete in the British Wheelchair Basketball’s National Womens League with teams competing from all across the UK in the largest gathering of female wheelchair basketballers in the world. Rachel Gilbert, Vicky Cruickshanks, Eilidh rattray, Vicky Boddice, Sarah Hawken and assistant coach Debbie Baxter all live and play wheelchair basketball for Aberdeen’s local team, the Grampian Flyers.

From all over Scotland women came together this season for the Scottish Women Warriors 2 Team that formed with thanks to Spirit of 2012’s funding gained by the 1st team based in Glasgow. This all-women team trained in Dundee, and journeyed to Nottingham and Sheffield to compete. Entering in at Division 3 for the first time the team’s sporting debut showed strong competitiveness as they soon became the team to watch over the course of the League. The team competed against a pool of 9 teams from all over the UK and succeded in coming 2nd in Divison 3 and has been promoted into National Divison 2 next season.

Debbie Baxter, Assistant Coach, 43: “I am proud of all the hard work these ladies have put into training, and couldn’t be happier with the team’s promotion. Our women’s team have proved that good team spirit and the will to succeed is all you need to go places in sport.”

Eilidh Rattray, Player, 21: “Being part of the women’s team has given me a boost in confidence after having to give up on rugby and kickboxing. Because of our diverse team it really showes me and other that the only disability in life is a bad attitude and that no matter what there is sporting opportunity’s out there for everyone.”

Vicki Boddice. Player, 37: “The win gave me a huge boost, it’s the first time I have had physical success since being in a wheelchair. I feel that Ican achieve so much and that I have a team behind me who would help in any way they can. The women’s team has given me back a social life and belief in myself. It gives me the chance to develop skills and improve my fitness while having some of the best laughs imaginable.”

Grampian Flyers are offering taster sessions for women only in the Aberdeenshire area to come along and try out wheelchair basketball, alongside players from the Scottish Women Warriors 2 team. These sessions are Mondays 6pm-7pm, 23rd April to 2nd July at the Beach Leisure Centre. If anyone is interested in coming along please contact wheelchair@flyersbasketball.co.uk.

PB for Young Fife Athlete in Mini Marathon

Congratulations and well done to teenager Callum Sloan (T53) from Dunfermline and Queen Anne HS who recorded a personal best time of 0:20:55 in the 2018 Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.

Supported by his family, coach Pamela Robson and her family, the young Disability Sport Fife member was competing in the Under 17 boys section for the first time. Previous involvement has been in the under 14 boys section.

Conditions were excellent and athlete and coach were delighted with how Callum had performed. All those training sessions on Kirkcaldy prom, the Beveridge Park and Pitreavie Athletics Centre had paid off.

Callum is still the only junior wheelchair athlete from Fife to compete the London Mini wheelchair marathon. Young Callum has been an inspiration to the senior and junior wheelchair athletes who now make up the ever expanding Fife wheelchair racing squad.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

 

Derek Rae wins Para World Cup Title

Congratulations to Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC who has just won the T45/T46 category at the 2018 World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup in association with the Virgin Money London Marathon.

This is undoubtedly Derek’s major achievement to date in Para athletics and is a fitting reward for all the work he has put into training at home in Fife and during warm weather training in Kenya and Tenerife. Derek’s competition preparations have gone so well this year and he has been looking in particularly good shape recently.

Derek is coached by Ron Morrison at Fife Athletic Club and supported by a team of experts at the Scottish Institute of Sport at the University of Dundee. Family and Fife AC club members have been his rock throughout his career to date.

There will be great celebrations within Disability Sport Fife, Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport at this superb victory for the IPC world ranked number three in the class. Derek has repaid UK Athletics Performance Director Paula Dunn for the faith she has had in from the first time he ran in a GB vest in 2015.

Derek’s time of 2:36:13 was not a personal best but the conditions in London this year were not conducive to record times as was clearly shown in the men’s and women’s elite races. Derek went through the half marathon in 01:15.21.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife