Age
14

Hometown
Fife

Branch
Disability Sport Fife

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
When I was young I was in mainstream sports and they did not adjust to my needs so I joined DSF and they changed my life.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
I want to change disabled sports so people don’t have to go through what I went through

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability
sport?
Get more people involved

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
Motivating people to try there hardest when they feel like giving up

What are your goals and aspirations?
My goals are to change sport for disabled people so they don’t feel alone in sport

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
My biggest sporting achievement is getting to where I am now because I think that has really motivated me in life

Age
16

Hometown
Alness

Branch
Highland Disability Sport

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?

Since a young age I have been involved in sports and loved it

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
To be able to make people more aware of disability sports

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability
sport?
More of disability sports in schools

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
The disability sports summer camp

What are your goals and aspirations?
To make people more involved with disability sports

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
Getting a B in higher PE

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
Emma Imrie she never lets anything stop her from achieving her goals

Age
21

Pronouns 

They/them

Hometown
Midlothian

Branch
Disability Sport Glasgow

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
Growing up I was very sporty and took part in dance, swimming, netball, trampoline, and many
more! As a teenager I got really into coaching and volunteered for Active Schools and Beeslack
All Stars DSC, as well as teaching dance as my first ever job. When I got to university I joined the
Trampoline team and quickly joined their committee, realising how rewarding sports development
is.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
I am so passionate about further promoting disability sports opportunities and thought the SDS YPSP was a great way to channel that into real change.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability sport?
I would love to create more opportunities for disability sport at university and colleges, promoting further training for student coaches and mixed recreational training sessions. I want to show sports organisations the multitude of ways they can be more inclusive across the board.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
My biggest highlight as to be captaining the Glasgow University Trampoline Club to their first League Cup win in nine years! It was such a great team effort and I was so proud of everyone.My time with GUTC has been amazing and I have learned so much from all my different committee roles. Going on from this to chair SSS Trampoline and organising and running all the SST events has been such a fun new challenge, especially running our 3-day international open event!

What are your goals and aspirations?
I am currently working towards my Masters in Primary Education at the University of Glasgow, and hope to specialise further in ASN education.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
At the 2022 GUSA Ball I was so proud to receive the Justin Langham Sport Development Award, as well as my University colours, for my outstanding contributions to the development of club sport. It was such a surprise!!

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
As a non-binary person there are very few queer role models in sport, but I hope that over time there will be more to cheer on!

Age
17

Hometown
Edinburgh

Branch
Lothian Disability Sport

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?

My parents took me to watch football from a very young age, so I jumped at the chance to start playing at primary school. I’ve been playing with my local team for about 8 years now, and I started playing autism football at Team United 2 years ago.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
I am really passionate about sport and disability rights, so when I saw the panel being advertised, I was really intrigued. I felt like it was somewhere I could bring my passions and use them to make a difference.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability sport?
I really want to widen access for young people. I’ve seen first-hand how good an impact sport can have on your health and wellbeing, and I want even more young people to realise this and get opportunities to play.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
At U15s, I was accepted into the Edinburgh Sports Academy, and I was playing in the National Performance League. I trained 6 times a week, and I loved every minute of it. It was such a great experience to be playing with, and against, the best young footballers in Scotland.

What are your goals and aspirations?
I really want to continue playing football at university, and I’ve got my eye on a few new sports for fun too. At university, I am going to study psychology and sociology, and I want to use my degree to help make lives better for disabled children across Scotland.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
I would say my best achievement was an essay I wrote about my experience of school with undiagnosed autism. It has been used for teacher training in a range of schools, and I’ve got a lot of positive feedback from families of autistic young people too. From this, I started writing a blog, and I’m really proud of how I am sharing my experience as a young, disabled woman.

Age
18

Hometown
Inverkeithing

Branch
Disability Sport Fife

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
I first got involved with sport at the dwarf sports association national games after that I decided to
join DSF run jump throw and haven’t stopped since.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
Through my experiences in disability sport I would like to help make sport more accessible to people with a disability.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability
sport?

One thing i would like to do to improve in disability sport, is trying to reach young
people with disability’s faster who aren’t aware of the opportunities available,this
could be done by making hospitals and schools more aware we exist.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
My main sporting highlight at the moment would be competing at the World parapowerlifting championships in Dubai and coming fourth I have also represented Scotland at the school games and Loughborough pathway internationals.

What are your goals and aspirations?
My main goal is getting to Paralympics or Commonwealth Games.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
Coming fourth at the World Para- Powerlifting Championships and being number 1 in the world for 100m in my category.

Age
16

Hometown
Ayr

Branch
Ayrshire Sportsability

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
I got involved with sports when I was younger and my mum put me into swimming lessons so that
I knew how to swim and I’ve swam ever since.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
As soon as I saw that the Young Person’s Sports Panel helped promote disability
sport I had motivation to join the panel.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability
sport?
One thing that I would like to change to improve disability sport is that I would like to
help more people find out about it.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
My sporting highlights range from swimming my first ever length of a pool to getting my first ever national medal in July 2023 at the Scottish National Open Championships.

What are your goals and aspirations?
My other goals and aspirations are to one day make Team GB or Team Scotland at world championships/paralympics/commenwealth games etc.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
My best achievement in sporting I would say is my getting a silver medal in the 50m free at the Scottish National Open Championships in July 2023.

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
I don’t really have one role model because a lot of different people inspire me in a number of different ways.

Age
22

Hometown
Rosyth

Branch
Disability Sport Fife

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
Growing up I was an extremely active child and had the opportunity to get involved in numerous sports from a very young age. I quickly found my true love in the water and began competing as soon as I joined my local swimming club. Almost every moment when I wasn’t at school, I was in the water. This all changed at around the age of 15 when my health began to decline, and pain/injuries put me in a position where I wasn’t capable to continue the training load. I now stay active recreationally, which is extremely important for my mental health as well as my physical health, but I would love to try anything and everything I possibly can!

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
As someone who has had a life revolve around sport, I knew nothing about how to stay in sport and be involved in sport when my health took a turn. University gave me the ability to explore new avenues but finding and looking for opportunities on how to get involved specifically in disability sport has seemed rather difficult/slightly overwhelming. Becoming part of the panel will allow me to help those who are in the same position and want to be a part of sport but don’t know where to start, especially when transitioning from education to their next endeavours. Being involved in sport has also been a key element to improving and maintaining my mental health. I think physical activity is fundamental in providing a positive impact to a persons overall wellbeing and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to find something that they enjoy to stay active is important. This is why I am extremely passionate about promoting sport and physical activity that is accessible and inclusive.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability sport?
Sport and physical activity are widely recognised for their positive effects on mental health. However, numerous barriers including financial constraints, time, lack of confidence and social anxiety often influence participation. For those with disabilities, these barriers are combined by additional challenges, including access, transportation, discrimination, and limited awareness, among others. It is important that we try to break down these barriers so persons with disabilities have the same opportunities to receive the benefits of sport and improve their quality of life.
Although improving disability sport won’t happen overnight, providing appropriate facilities and education to affectively communicate how and where to get involved is extremely important. Additionally, I believe that media coverage is particularly valuable in bringing awareness and acceptance of disability as well as providing sporting role models for the next generation.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
Although I am an incredibly competitive person, I think the true highlight for me is the friends I have gained and the people I have met. I have had some incredible opportunities through sport from attending performance swim squads to meeting Olympians and holding the Olympic torch.

What are your goals and aspirations?
It is a goal of mine to explore as many new sports as I possibly can! After finishing university, my weekly routine has a lot less structure and finding a new interest is something I am really keen on doing. Alongside this more casual goal, I also aim to try and grab every opportunity I am thrown in
hopes I can pursue a career within the sport industry.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
My greatest achievement so far has to be graduating from university. Completing a degree during a global pandemic was one hurdle on its own but dealing with unpredictable changes to my health alongside grief meant that keeping up with my university workload, schedule and assignments
proved extremely difficult. My personal tutor (Dr Lewis Macgregor) was a blessing during my time at university and provided me a place to speak and ask for adjustments/advice that ultimately made completing my dissertation and therefore my degree that little bit more accessible. I managed to not only meet the goals I set out to meet, but also obtain a first-class honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science. Couldn’t be prouder of how hard I worked and the grade I achieved.

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
I do not necessarily have one role model or inspiration, however, everyone I know that I am close to has inspired me in some way. I admire those who strive to be their best selves and push to
overcome barriers and challenges that others may not see. I think it is important to notice that
sometimes little things are not always little and seeing people who you care for conquer and move
in the right direction is incredibly inspiring all on its own.

Age
18

Hometown
Falkirk

Branch
Forth Valley Disability Sport

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
I played table cricket in my last year of high school. I ended up representing Scotland in the table cricket finals at Lords in London.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
To help give people with disabilities a change to take part in sports and not just watch from the sidelines.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability sport?
More information and support given to school without a unit for people with
disabilities

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
Going to Lords and representing Scotland and my school

What are your goals and aspirations?
To help others with disabilities become more involved with sports.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
Representing Scotland and my school at Lords

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
My P.E teacher Amy, she has taught me so much about accepting who you are as a person and helped my become a more confident person.

Age
18

Hometown
Tingwall, Shetland

Branch
Ability Shetland

How did you get involved in sport or what would you like to get involved with?
I have always loved sports and being active, working closely with Ability Shetland and more recently Scottish Disability Sport, Red Star Athletics, Shetland Fencing, Disability Motorsport Scotland, has really broadened my sporting opportunities both as an athlete and a coach.

What motivated you to join the Young Person’s Sport panel?
Sports has made such a difference to my life, I want to help in any way I can for
more people to experience the difference taking part in a sport you love can make in
your life.

If you could change anything, what would you change to improve disability
sport?
I would want to help improve the ability for rural and isolated communities, such as
those on the Scottish Islands, to access different disability sports.

What are your sporting (or other) highlights?
I’ve helped to establish the first ever wheelchair racing club in Shetland, by raising money for ability Shetland with endurance challenges which has enabled the charity and myself to provide more opportunities for individuals to participate in local sports they otherwise wouldn’t have
access to.

What are your goals and aspirations?
I want to have a successful career in Motorsport as a driver, and eventually as a coach. And to push my limits in this sport and any other sports that I partake in.

What is your best achievement, sporting or otherwise?
My best achievement would have to be becoming the first wheelchair user ever to complete the full Hadrian’s Wall 84 mile trail. With help from an amazing team I completed this over the course of 10 days, and it really highlighted the importance of teamwork, believing in myself and never giving up.

Is there a role model that inspires you and why?
I have several role models, one being Charis Scott who works for the Ability Shetland branch. She is a fantastic coach and is always enthusiastic in everything that she does. One of my other role
models is Colin from Disability Motorsport Scotland, who works so hard to make Motorsports fully
inclusive for everyone, no matter the barriers in their way.