The forty-first Junior Championships for sensory impaired and physically disabled swimmers organised by Scottish Disability Sport were held at Grangemouth on Wednesday 7^th November. For over two decades successive generations of Grangemouth staff have supported the event. The Junior Swimming Championships are one of the longest running events in the national calendar organised by SDS.

The Junior Championships have witnessed memorable contests over the years between emerging and established Scottish swimmers. SDS and its partner governing body Scottish Swimming have developed a comprehensive pathway in the sport so there is a competitive outlet for swimmers with a disability at every stage. This event has witnessed most of the finest para-swimmers Scotland has produced. Many of the entrants on Wednesday will aspire to follow in the considerable footsteps of Paul Noble MBE, Sean Fraser, Stephen Clegg, Abby Kane and Lara Ferguson to mention only a few who have graced this event through the years. Thanks to the bespoke time-banding classification system used, swimmers new to competition can swim at the same meet as Paralympians and Commonwealth Games representatives. This means that these athletes are accessible and inspiring to all participants there. SDS were delighted to welcome one of these athletes back for her final year at this competition. Beth Johnston has been a mainstay at this event for years and won yet another Best Female trophy thanks to her 5 gold medals. Beth headed up a buoyant Borders team who secured further medals through Connor Livingstone, Amy MacKay, Jenna Brus and Kirsty Gibb. Another swimmer competing in their final junior championships is Fife’s Cara Smyth who chased Beth all the way. It was fantastic to see her back in the pool. They will both be missed from this event, however we look forward to seeing them again at the senior events.

Grampian’s Rhys Gill engaged in some thrilling battles with the West of Scotland pair Kyle Hughes and Lewis Beagrie on the male side. Rhys and Kyle –  – both medalists  at the 2018 CPISRA World Games in Sant Cugat, Spain – were on this occasion outstripped by Lewis who claimed all 5 titles – along with the inevitable Best Male Performer (his first time winning the award) – and was under a second away from some of the Championship Records – four of which were claimed by Fife’s Ollie Carter in 2017. The one record that eluded Ollie was the 50m Backstroke which still belongs to Lothian’s Robert Dalgleish as he swam 31.96 in 2011. It was fantastic to see Robert back at the event to help Jim “The Swim” Anderson OBE dish out the medals to the deserving youngsters. It also gave Robert a chance to have a reunion with his old adversary in the pool, but firm friend outside it, Stefan Hoggan who did yet another sterling job as the announcer. Mentored by the maestro Paul Noble MBE in previous events, Stefan is a man at ease on the microphone and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role.

There were many other performances of note amongst the other teams. Lothian’s brothers Aaron and Corey McDowell turning in some excellent performances with Aaron winning the sibling rivalry on this occasion. Fife’s Katie Pake returned to the Kingdom with no less than 4 golds. Many other swimmers from those areas and Tayside, Highland, Forth Valley, Grampian and a strong West of Scotland team also put in some brilliant times. A big thank you to all the committed coaches, volunteers and parents for creating such a lively atmosphere at the event. Many had taken time off work to support the event and it is very much appreciated by all at SDS.

It was heartening to see another rise by 10% in entries following a similar rise in 2017. This shows that more and more swimmers are being engaged in schools, clubs and branches in swimming and are being identified in learn to swim programmes or at engagement opportunities such as parasport days. Swimmers should continue to be identified in order to ensure this event remains for a further 40 years and beyond. The SDS/ Scottish Swimming partnership is one of the longest running in Scottish sport and both organisations continue to work closely to drive forward the development of disability swimming in Scotland.

Congratulations to all the swimmers and especially Beth and Lewis on their respective titles and we look forward to the second Junior Swimming Championships now at Tollcross on the 21^st November for our athletes with a learning disability.

Mike Mellon’s 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney ended with a third medal as a member of the Team UK basketball squad. At the previous Games in Canada Mike won silver and bronze but he leaves Australia as the only Scot in Team UK and with two silvers and one bronze medal. An amazing journey, incredible energy and commitment from the all rounder from the “village of Cardenden,” as 1984 GB Paralympian Andrew Brennan recently described his beloved home town.

RAF veteran Mick Mellon was medically discharged in 2005 from his role as a senior aircraftman. Michael targetted the 2018 Invictus Games as part of his ongoing recovery journey. Mike is a highly respected member of Disability Sport Fife and Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club. Mike applied and qualified to compete in the 2018 Invictus Games in sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. Mike had already won silver medals for sitting volleyball and wheelchair rugby when he lined up in the Team UK basketball team.

Team UK defeated Australia in qualifying but a critical loss to the Netherlands by only 18 – 21 resulted in Team UK having the more challenging route to the final stages of the tournament. Netherlands topped the pool with 4 points and UK and Australia had 3 and 2 points respectively. Team UK was drawn against the mighty USA in the semi final and despite it being a match to remember and a wonderful performance by Mike and his colleagues, Team UK was on the losing end of 41 – 35 result. Netherlands progressed to meet USA in the final following a victory against New Zealand but lost by 17 – 29. Team UK defeated New Zealand 32 – 6 in the bronze medal match and added another excellent medal to their 2018 Invictus Team Games tally.

Well done Team UK and of course our own Mike Mellon. Brilliant support yet again from Help for Heroes. All of us back home are fiercely proud of all that you have achieved and all that you have sacrificed to excel in Australia. Your amazing wife and family must be so proud of you and deservedly so. Your journey is by no means complete and you have much more to offer Para sport and the Invictus movement as a competitor and ambassador. Safe home from “Down Under” and once again congratulations.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing. The word ‘invictus’ means ‘unconquered’. It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and personifies what these tenacious men and women can achieve post injury.

RAF veteran Michael Mellon was medically discharged in 2005 from his role as a senior aircraftman. The 38-year-old from Cardenden in Fife, is Scotland’s only representative in Team UK in Australia. Michael has targeted the 2018 Invictus Games as part of his ongoing recovery journey. “The training camps and events have really opened my eyes on how people in similar conditions have coped and progressed with their lives. Being around these people has helped me start to get my life back on track. “After becoming medically discharged I thought my life was over. Every day I just wished I was still in the RAF and with my friends. But I love being with the lads again – I feel like I’m accepted when I’m around them.”
Michael Mellon is a highly respected member of Disability Sport Fife. 2017 was an incredibly busy but wonderfully successful year for Michael. Michael applied to compete in sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, discus and shot at the 2017 UK Invictus Games and he attended his first training camp in December 2016.

As Michael was training for four events he had to attend camps almost every weekend. Trials were held at Bath University at the beginning of April and then Michael had to wait for five weeks before hearing if he had been selected. The official announcement came in the second week in May that he was off to Toronto for the 2107 Games as part of the UK Team.

The Tower of London was the venue for the main public announcement.
Squad training camps started immediately and Michael was at a camp almost every weekend from June right up to the week before departure for Canada in September. Michael also was selected to play for the Scotland rugby league team in the 2017 World Cup in July over 10 days in the south of France. Scotland played Italy and Spain in the group stages but failed to make the quarter finals. Scotland finally played a France select team before returning home.

For Michael the Invictus Games in Canada were an amazing experience. Michael made it into the finals for discus and shot, finishing 6th in discus and 5th in shot. Team UK made it through the prelims without losing a game in wheelchair basketball but unfortunately lost to Holland in the semifinal. In the bronze medal match against Denmark, Team UK was victorious. In sitting volleyball Team UK never lost a game in the prelims and also won their semi final. In the final, as we all saw on TV, Team UK played a strong team from Georgia and had to settle for a brilliant silver medal.

In November 2017 training camps for the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney started. The number of athletes applying set new records for the UK Invictus. Michael attended trials for wheelchair tennis, wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball and supported endless training camps throughout 2018. BBC 1 is covering the Games from Australia at 19 30 every evening. Michael is a devoted family man.

Michael’s Games began with two days of sitting volleyball. Team UK made it through to the final where they met defending champions Georgia …. yet again. The outcome was the same as in Canada with Team UK lifting the silver medal. Michael made a significant contribution to a superb Team UK performance. The Georgians are a very powerful team. Well done Team UK and the only Scot has won team silver in his first event. Wheelchair rugby and basketball to follow…….come on Michael.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

The 2018 Stirling International Wheelchair Curling Tournament was won by the Canadian national team, which was skipped by double Paralympian, Mark Ideson.

In the final, the Canadians beat the national team of Sweden by 7 shots to 6 with the Canadians coming from behind to secure the title by taking a double at the last end.

The event, which was made up of national teams from 11 different countries, was a great success with some fantastic curling on show over 4 days at the Peak.  Paralympic Champions China withdrew at a late stage with their place in the draw taken by a Scotland ‘B’ team, which featured Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club member Charley Mckenna.

Scotland finished 6th in the standings with the Scotland ‘B’ team rounding off their tournament with an 8 – 3 victory over a strong Swiss team.

Many of the teams will be back in Stirling for the 2019 World Wheelchair Curling Championships, which is held at the Peak from March 3rd to 10th.

All details of our event including the draw are on our website

http://stirlingwheelchaircurling.btck.co.uk/

Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club hold wheelchair curling sessions weekly every Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Please contact Jacky McLaren if you would like to try out the sport jackymclaren@talktalk.net

After a busy summer term with our regional team and players zooming around schools delivering boccia, one girl from Grampian won the chance to get up close with the world’s boccia stars at the BISFed World Boccia Championships 2018 in Liverpool in August.

Lillie, from Aberdeenshire, entered a competition as part of SDS’s School Boccia Programme, and was selected as the lucky winner of the grand prize: return travel, accommodation abd tickets to the Championships for her and her mum, Eleanor.

Lillie, who is relatively new to the world of boccia, had a blast on her 2-day visit, and her mum reported back with Lillie’s reflections on the event:

“Lillie enjoyed her trip to Liverpool to watch the Boccia Championships. She got to see Stephen McGuire play then she liked when he came to speak to her in the restaurant at night. Next day she got to meet his brother Peter who was commentating for the BBC and she really enjoyed chatting to him. She is keen to take up boccia but just need to find a time and place to suit her.”

We’re now working with Lillie’s school and the Aberdeenshire Active Schools Team to ensure that she gets the opportunity to play boccia in her local area regularly!

If you or anyone you know is living in the Grampian area with a physical, sensory or learning disability and would like to get more involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison Shaw, Regional Manager, on 07828 744 848 or alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com.