Month: August 2021

Jo Butterfield MBE

Age: 42

Home town: Doncaster

Classification: F51 Club Throw

A former army civil servant, Butterfield first tried her hand at wheelchair basketball before transitioning to athletics with immediate success. In 2014 on her international debut, the Glasgow-based athlete won European club throw gold, which was followed by world gold just over 12 months later.

Butterfield’s meteoric rise continued as she retained her European crown and also obliterated the world record with a mark of 22.75m in Grosseto, Italy, in 2016.

At the Paralympic Games in Rio, Butterfield won gold in the F51 club throw with yet another world record – despite nursing a shoulder injury.

But with injury problems continuing the following year, as the Scot finished in fourth place at the London 2017 World Championships.

Butterfield added two more silver medals to her collection, first at the 2018 European Championships and then just over a year later at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai.

Butterfield was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours.

Major Results

2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  • F51 Club Throw: Gold

2019 World Para Athletics World Championships, Dubai, UAE

  • F51 Club Throw: Silver

2018 World Para Athletics European Championships, Berlin, Germany

  • F51 Club Throw: Silver

2016 IPC Athletics European Championships, Grosseto, Italy

  • F32/51 Club Throw: Gold

2015 IPC Athletics World Championships, Doha, Qatar

  • F32/51 Club Throw: Gold
  • F52 Discus: Bronze

2014 IPC Athletics European Championships, Swansea, Wales

  • F32/51 Club Throw: Gold

Courtesy of ParalympicsGB

Twitter: @Jo_shuni

Instagram: jobutterfield

Stephen Clegg

Age: 25

Home town: Newcastleton, Scottish Borders

Classification: S12, SB12, SM12

Stephen comes from a family of Paralympic athletes, with both older sister Libby and brother James winning medals for ParalympicsGB at London 2012 in athletics and swimming.

Stephen started swimming in 2014 and quickly took to the sport, breaking through to make his major debut at the 2016 IPC Swimming European Championships in Funchal, Portugal, where he made three finals and set a new personal best in the 400m freestyle S13.

He made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 where he recorded his best result in the final of the 100m backstroke S12, finishing in 5th place.

At the 2018 European Para Swimming Championships in Dublin, Ireland, Stephen won three bronze medals and set two new British records.

In 2019 Stephen claimed his maiden global title with a silver medal in the S12 100m butterfly final.

Major Results

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

  • 100m backstroke S12: 5th
  • 100m freestyle S13: 4th (heat 2)
  • 400m freestyle S13: 4th (heat 1)
  • 50m freestyle S12: 4th (heat 1)

London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships

  • 100m butterfly S12: silver
  • 100m backstroke S12: 4th
  • 50m freestyle S12: 5th
  • 100m freestyle S12: 7th

Courtesy of ParalympicsGB

Twitter: @stephenclegg95

Instagram: stephen.clegg

Scott Quin

Age: 31

Home town: Loanhead, Midlothian

Classification: S14, SB14, SM14

Scott Quin raced to silver on his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 in a thrilling final where he was just pipped to the wall by ParalympicsGB teammate Aaron Moores.

Since making his international debut at the 2011 IPC Swimming European Championships in Berlin, Quin has continued to demonstrate his potential by producing consistent results in his favourite event, the 100m breaststroke SB14.

He won silver medals in that event at the 2014 European and 2015 World Championships, before repeating that success at Rio.

Following his first Games, Scott once again claimed silver in his favoured event at a home World Championships in London in 2019.

Major Results

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

  • 100m breaststroke SB14: silver

London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships

  • 100m breaststroke SB14: silver

Glasgow 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 100m breaststroke SB14: silver
  • 200m individual medley SB14: 12th

Montreal 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 100m breaststroke SB14: 5th

Courtesy of ParalympicsGB

Louis Lawlor

Age: 19

Home town: Glasgow

Classification: S14, SB14, SM14

Louis Lawlor made his international debut at the World Para Swimming Championships in London in 2019 – and capped it by winning his maiden international medal.

Glasgow-born Lawlor secured a bronze in the S14 100m Backstroke, having finished fourth in the mixed category race at the British Para-Swimming International Meet earlier in the year to confirm his place in the Worlds squad.

He achieved two mixed category podiums at the 2018 British Para-Swimming International Meet in Sheffield, claiming silver in the 100m Butterfly and bronze in the 200m Freestyle event.

Lawlor was also named Best Swimmer at the 2018 Scottish Junior Learning Disability Swimming Championships.

Courtesy of ParalympicsGB

Instagram: louislawlor2002

Andrew Mullen

Age: 24

Home town: Glasgow

Classification: S5, SB4, SM5

Having made his international debut at the age of 14 at the 2011 IPC Swimming European Championships in Berlin, Andrew Mullen performed well on his Paralympic debut at London 2012, narrowly missing out on a medal as he finished 4th in both the 50m backstroke S5 and the 50m butterfly S5.

On the road to Rio 2016, he scooped numerous international medals, including six medals at the 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships in Eindhoven (four gold and two silver) in addition to seven individual medals across both the 2013 IPC World Championships in Montreal and the 2015 IPC World Championships in his hometown of Glasgow.

In 2016, Andrew made his mark at the IPC Swimming European Championships by winning four individual gold medals, plus one silver.

At his second Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, Mullen won an incredible three medals, including a silver in the Men’s 50m backstroke S5.

Major Results

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

  • 50m freestyle S5: 5th
  • 100m freestyle S5: bronze
  • 200m freestyle S5: bronze
  • 50m backstroke S5: silver
  • 50m butterfly S5: 4th

London 2012 Paralympic Games

  • 50m freestyle S5: 8th
  • 50m backstroke S5: 4th
  • 50m butterfly S5: 4th

Glasgow 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 50m backstroke S5: silver
  • 50m butterfly S5: bronze
  • 50m freestyle S5: 4th
  • 100m freestyle S5: bronze
  • 200m freestyle S5: silver

Montreal 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 50m butterfly S5: bronze
  • 50m backstroke S5: silver
  • 50m freestyle S5: 5th
  • 100m freestyle S5: 4th
  • 200m individual medley SM5: silver

Courtesy of ParalympicsGB

Twitter: @andy_mullen1

Instagram: andy_mullen1

SDS achieves the Advanced Level of the Equality Standard for Sport

SDS is delighted to announce that we have achieved the Advanced Level of the Equality Standard for Sport.

The Equality Standard Framework for Sport is owned by the five Sports Councils through the Sports Councils Equality Group. The Equality Standard for Sport is a framework for assisting sports organisations to widen access and reduce inequalities in sport and physical activity from under represented individuals, groups and communities across the nine Protected Characteristics.

It is based around two broad themes: developing your organisation; and developing your services. There are four levels of achievement, with Advanced being the top level to reach. SDS is only the 4th Scottish Governing Body to achieve this level.

SDS has been working towards the Advanced Level of the framework for the last three years. The three outcomes detailed below had to be met in order to reach this level.

  • Outcome 1 – Your organisation has made significant progress towards diversity within board, staff (paid and unpaid), coaches, officials, members and participants
  • Outcome 2 – Equality is mainstreamed through the organisation’s functions, policies and procedures
  • Outcome 3 – Your organisation is developing further initiatives to address each protected characteristic

A huge thank you to everyone within SDS and to the member branches for the support in working towards the Advanced Level over the last three years. We look forward to continuing our equality journey and making sport as inclusive as possible for everyone.

For more information on the Equality Standard please see: Equality Standard for Sport (equalityinsport.org)

Gary McCowan

Age: 57

Home town: Dundonald, South Ayrshire

Sport: Boccia

Events: Individual BC3 & Pairs BC3

Classification: BC3 Assistant

Coach: Glynn Tromans

When and how did you get involved in sport?
2006 when my sons were introduced to the sport.

Career highlights:

  • London, Rio and now Tokyo.

How many Paralympic Games have you competed in?
3

What are your ambitions in Tokyo?
To medal in both.

Do you have one bit of advice for an aspiring athlete?
Make sacrifices and give it your all.