Month: July 2022

Scottish Disability Sport Young Start Programme

SDS is welcoming application for the the Young Start programme.

The Young Start programme will empower young people (aged between 16 – 24) with physical, learning and sensory disabilities throughout Scotland to develop their confidence and coaching skills over a one-year period. The young people will gain coaching qualifications or equivalent CPD.<

Programme Outcomes:

  • Confident qualified young people with disabilities actively coaching throughout Scotland
  • Increased opportunities for young coaches with disabilities to network (at least two events per year)
  • Profile of coaches with disabilities raised
  • Awareness of development opportunities raised
  • Team of young Peer Mentors developed

Find out more about the programme by watching out Young Start summary video here:

To be considered for the programme, young people must:

  • Be aged between 16 and 24. Participants must be 16 as of the 2nd September 2022 to apply for the programme.
  • Have time available to commit to the programme and to volunteering within their community:
    • Meet at least 4 times with their mentor
    • Attend Young Start coach get together’s and the programme residential
  • Have the ambition to become a coach and to achieve a Level 1 qualification or equivalent
  • Complete a coach profile (x2) and personal development plan (Mentors will provide support to do this)
  • Submit brief quarterly reports updates to Scottish Disability Sport
  • Attend at least one CPD opportunity as agreed with your mentor
  • Link with branches to support ongoing developments
  • Be open and ready to participate in all learning opportunities

Young Start Application Form

Neil Fachie

Age: 38

Home town: Aberdeen

Sport: Cycling

Classification: B

Event/s: 1km Time Trial & Spring

Club: Black Line

Coach/es: David Daniell

When and how did you get involved in sport?

I joined Aberdeen Amateur Athletics club at the age of 10, competing able-bodied until 2005 when I joined the British Athletics development squad. Switched to cycling following the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Career highlights to date:

  • London 2012 Paralympic Games – 1km Time Trial – Gold and new world record, Sprint – Silver
  • Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – 1km Time Trial – Gold, Sprint – Silver
  • Rio 2016 Paralympic Games – 1km Time Trial
  • Gold Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – 1km Time Trial – Gold, Sprint – Gold and new world record
  • Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – 1km Time Trial – Gold and new world record

What are your ambitions for the Commonwealth Games?

I would like to take 2 more medals home for Team Scotland, hopefully gold.

Do you have one piece of advice for an aspiring athlete?

Even if it’s not happening now, stick with it. I lost almost every race I did between the ages of 12 and 16, I never expected to stand on top of a podium.

Twitter: @neilfachie

Instagram: @neilfachie