The Davidson family have contributed so much since they joined Disability Sport Fife. Mum Hailey and children Skye and Finlay are fully involved in DSF run, jump and throws sessions and in the last year have become regulars at badminton and short tennis. Both children are also progressing well in swimming.
Mum is an inspiration and I was not surprised to hear that she has recently been appointed vice chair of the Dwarf Sports Association in the UK. This will increase her involvement in an organisation that she already contributes to greatly. Congratulations and well done Hailey. If your impact in Scotland is a measure of your potential then you are destined to add so much to the UK Association. DSF recognises the Davidson family as fully committed and active family members.
The Davidson family have just enjoyed their most successful performances at the UK Dwarf Games where 217 participants took part including 17 from Scotland. Finlay won 2 silver medals for cycling and football and 2 bronze medals for discus and hockey. Skye won 3 golds for 60m, 40m, and football plus 5 silver medals for shot putt, discus, javelin and swimming. To round off her weekend she won bronze for basketball. Mum Hailey, not to be out done, kept up family standards by winning 3 golds for discus, javelin and cycling. Hailey also won silver for shot putt and a bronze in air rifle shooting.
For Skye and Finlay it was particularly pleasing because they both moved up age categories. Skye has now progressed to the under 11’s and Finlay is now in the under 15’s. Hailey believes that the competition overall is much tougher and she is grateful to the Disability Sport Fife coaches for all the support they have provided for the family over the past year.
Over the weekend husband Scott and Hailey worked as volunteers for the first time. They enjoyed their experience as swimming officials, as well as assisting with team sports and throwing events. This offered Skye and Finlay the opportunity to be more independent of their parents and they rose to the challenge admirably. Excellent example of the benefits of sport in creating confident, reliable and independent young people.
At the weekend the DSAUK launched an excellent publication with the title “At Every Stage”. The new booklet is an inclusion guide for all nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, further education colleges etc. It is full of useful positive advice especially for physical education staff and others who deliver physical activity including sport. The cost is £5 and Hailey has already purchased one for her local Primary School and for the DSF coaches to look over.
Hailey believes the resource will be useful for Finlay who has selected PE as one of his third year subjects. This of course is no surprise. Hailey has informed me that ‘ when a student with Dwarfism elects to study PE as one of their exam grade choices, DSAUK events and competitions offer the opportunity to gather video evidence of the pupil participating among similar statured people. This allows the pupils skills to be fairly judged and graded’. This undoubtedly will assist Finlay with his studies – well done DSAUK.
Not surprisingly the highly energetic new vice chair of DSAUK aims to try and get at least one publication into every school in Scotland that has a pupil with dwarfism. Hailey recognises that not all schools are as inclusive as Inverkeithing Primary and Inverkeithing HS. There is evidence she believes of young people with dwarfism struggling and perhaps not being encouraged to be active.
Congratulations to all four members of the Davidson family. Physical activity including sport is a way of life in the Davidson family and DSF is proud to have them as active members.
Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife