Stefan Hoggan-Radu speaks about his journey in sport and life, as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Laces Campaign.
Stefan Hoggan-Radu has represented the LGBTQ+ community on many occasions as an elite Para athlete. Since his retirement from competitive sport he has continued to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in the political world, currently holding the position as Councillor for North East Fife.
A now proud spokesperson for disability and LGBTQ+ rights, his personal journey of self-love and acceptance was filled with challenges. Bullied throughout school for having a disability, Hoggan-Radu was apprehensive to share his sexual orientation.
At 23 years-old he was training as a British triathlete and was worried about the reaction that he would get from his fellow athletes and the triathlon community after coming out. However, when he came out he had nothing but acceptance from his peers and surrounding community.
When asked how this impacted his performance in sport, Hoggan-Radu explained that this emotional strain didn’t impact his results when competing. However, he recognises the impact that it had on his long term mental health, with him appreciating that this would have ultimately effected his training performance and routine.
Before triathlon, swimming was his first sport which saw him compete on the international stage. After missing out on the 2014 Common Wealth Games by 0.02 seconds, he took the tough decision to retire from swimming.
His involvement with Para swimming paved the way for his political career. After becoming a member of the Young Person’s Sport Panel, he embarked on a trip to America, through an exchange with Blaze sport. This trip was incredibly insightful, getting to analyse policy and procedures along with attending the British Embassy in Washington as a representative. This partly influenced his decision to enter the field of politics.
His personal experience of being bullied at school highlighted the, “real injustice around how disabled individuals are treated. They aren’t represented.” This was something that he wanted to change.
When asked what inclusivity means to him, not only as a former athlete but also a member of the SNP, he shared a memorable moment that took place following the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
When he was going to training, a child saw him and their first reaction was, “Mum, that is really cool. That man only has one arm. He could be in the Paralympics!”
Hoggan-Radu credits UK broadcasters for striving to be more inclusive and have better visual representation on screen. As a result of broadcasting the Paralympics, this child saw a disability and a future for them competing in sport.
He finds this memory very heartwarming and he believes that if more people see a disability, we can create a more accepting and inclusive society, which ultimately, will make the world a better place.
The Rainbow Laces Campaign concluded on Sunday (10th) and leads the way on supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport, fitness and physical activity. Scottish Disability Sport are proud to support the Rainbow Laces Campaign and will continue to promote and encourage a fully inclusive society.
Congratulations to Midlothian’s Samantha Gough on winning her first ever British Rowing indoor championships this past weekend in Birmingham, with the PR3 2k race Gold medal. Samantha says ‘I’ve learnt so much and excited to keep improving. Self-confidence is a superpower. Once you start to believe in yourself, magic starts happening’.
Samantha competes in several sports. She played Visually Impaired Football for England and last year took bronze in the European Para Youth Games as the only Scot representing her country at goalball, which she was introduced to at a Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festival. She has recently been selected for the British Rowing Performance pathway. Samantha’s goal is to continue her journey to the Paralympics Paris 2024, and LA 2028
Samantha recently won the Midlothian Award at the Midlothian Young People’s Awards ceremony in recognition of her sporting achievements. She was also commended in the UK parliament for this .with an Early day motion.
She is an ambassador for visually impaired and blind young people, spending her time visiting schools and educational settings. She works at raising awareness for adaptive sports within mainstream settings, making sure that young people with disabilities have the same opportunities in sport as their peers. She felt that she was excluded from PE within school so wants to ensure other young people have better experiences.
Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festivals 2024:
Scottish Disability Sport were extremely lucky to have a catch up with current Great Britain and Loughborough Lightning wheelchair basketball star, Robyn Love, who made time in her busy training calendar to speak to us.
Love has had a successful career representing Great Britain at the Paralympics, Scotland at the Commonwealth Games whilst also being recently included in the All-Stars team for the first time.
She became aware of Para sports through the 2012 London Paralympics, the first time she, “had ever seen Disability sports”. This serves to highlight the importance of role models and sporting heroes with a disability being visible to young participant in Scotland. Through para sports, Robyn met Tina Gordon who helped her considerably, providing Robyn with her first wheelchair, supporting and training with her, Robyn appreciates everything that Tina has done for her explaining that Tina was a massive influence “propelling me forward for success after success and ten years of fun and adventures”.
When asked whether she feels a responsibility to be a role model in the game due to her own positive experience and the effect this has had on her career, she replied – “absolutely I feel a responsibility, I’m always after more, I want more people playing and watching wheelchair basketball, I’m also extremely passionate to get more women into the sport”. This is something she admits is improving with better access and infrastructure to the women’s game with the creation of the English Premier League. She feels a duty to continue to grow the game. This is one of the reasons that she has taken to social media and specifically TikTok alongside starting her own coaching practice “Love Handles”.
Robyn is also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. This is something that Robyn is passionate about alongside being a role model for other members and athletes. Robyn is aware and appreciative of her own situation – “in a family where I can be my true authentic self and everybody is loving and accepting of that” however, Robyn also commented – “I am lu4cky to be in this position as many people are not in that same place, where they can be comfortable and confident being themselves” This is something that is very important to Robyn, living her best life; representing her family and friends and inspiring anyone out there to be their true authentic selves.
Robyn has recently taken up the position of LGBTQ+ ambassador, with the British Elite Athlete association (BEAA). Through this opportunity Robyn is excited to help create an ally scheme which aims to provide educational opportunities, to not only players and athletes but to teammates and staff members. Robyn enjoys promoting the importance of an environment where “players and staff feel comfortable and confident to go out and be themselves” Robyn wants to “help players not have voices in their heads, by not listening to these individuals players will be able to perform better”. Robyn is relishing this great opportunity and feels that this work is making a difference, helping people to be comfortable in themselves as “at the end of the day our playing careers stop, but we don’t stop being people”.
Robyn feels that “she has had nothing but acceptance within her field”, which she appreciates is partly due to it being a female sport however, she also acknowledges that there is more acceptance in general with there being fantastic role models “coming out” in mainstream sports such as football. Robyn urges more sports to create an inclusive environment.
Over the last couple of years Robyn and her partner have become parents to their baby Alba. Being a parent has helped Robyn whilst playing, bringing a sense of clarity and perspective. Before Alba, Robyn compared herself to a Ted Lasso character with basketball being life. This is something that Robyn is grateful for and believes has changed her outlook on not only basketball but also life. Recently Alba joined the British team at the European Championships, staying in her parents’ room, joining team meetings, and providing a unique form of heckling on the court. The British team took home silver in this competition.
Robyn looks forward to continuing as a role model for the sport and the LGBTQ+ community throughout the season, starting this weekend with Cardiff away. Furthermore, Robyn is keen to keep developing her game to ensure that she is at the Paralympics this summer in Paris. Scottish Disability Sport wishes her every success in the next stage of her exciting adventure.
Watch the full interview on Scottish Disability Sport’s YouTube channel here:
On 3rd December at 7:30 AM , to coincide with UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities Radio Scotland airs a documentary by journalist Michael McEwan, covering how attitudes surrounding disability have changed over the last four decades.
Michael celebrated his 40th birthday this year and wanted to find out how much we have moved on in society towards people with a disability since 1983.
Michael speaks to his parents of their experiences of raising a child with Cerebral Palsy, he also caught up with former pupil and friend Martin Dougan, now a fellow BBC journalist, to share memories of the school they both attended, Ashcraig in Glasgow.
Michael also speaks to Catherine Graham, Head of Inclusion of Glasgow City Council, about how education became more inclusive for pupils with disabilities by the 1990’s
Michael spoke with Lyn Pornaro, chief executive officer of Disability Equality Scotland, she explained what impact the introduction of Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 had on people living with a disability.
The show will also be available soon after on BBC Sounds, here is the link.
Hi, I am William Moncrieff and I have just started as a communications apprentice with Scottish Disability Sport.
I’m excited to take my first step in the sporting industry, especially as I have had an interest in sport from a very young age, growing up playing for my local mini rugby club in Strathspey and then joining Highland Rugby Club, playing for both their junior and senior teams. I am also a keen runner, enjoy playing golf and walking. These were all large factors in deciding to stay in the Highlands.
As part of a partnership agreement between UHI and Highland Rugby Club I studied sports coaching and development at both HNC/D level, whilst having access to both work experience and volunteering opportunities with the rugby club. In 2019, after finishing my HND I became seriously unwell, I have been left with life changing injuries and I am now registered blind. This affected my studies and led me to take a year out from university. In 2021 I decided to return to higher education with a slight change in focus, pursuing a degree in sports management, which I completed in May of 2023.
A big factor in my rehabilitation was sports. By trying to keep physically active I took up running, golf and hiking again, whilst at the same time maintaining a keen interest in all things rugby. My interest and passion for sport gave me purpose and motivation, playing a considerable factor in my return to university, obtaining my degree, and now finding employment. Physical activity has helped me rebuild my confidence and preserve a strong level of mental health. Sport has also been instrumental in helping me maintain exiting friendships and meeting new people with similar interests.
My new role focuses on the planning and delivering of targeted communications, with the primary aim of reinforcing Scottish Disability Sport’s core values and principles. A further responsibility is to identify new and exciting methods of storytelling. This is an area that particularly interests me, as I believe that when done effectively, storytelling can be incredibly inspiring. One of the many reasons for deciding to apply for this position was through my experience of the important work that the organisation does. I have been lucky enough to benefit and get running sessions provided through my local branch in Inverness. I am delighted to be able to work on sharing the fantastic work of Scottish Disability Sport, helping to get the message “out there”, so more individuals can benefit from the opportunities available. I am happy to be part of a team and look forward to working with new individuals, learning, and benefitting from their experience.
Scottish Disability Sport Week aims to highlight how and why everyone in Scotland with a disability should get active.
From Monday 27th November to Sunday 3rd December, there will be a Nationwide celebration of getting active and involved in disability sport in Scotland, through an online campaign called Scottish Disability Sport Week.
This week is the first of its kind and already over 50 Partners, local authorities and branches across Scotland have committed to the campaign alongside SDS (Scottish Disability Sport). The campaign aims to highlight and promote the opportunities and the impact physical activity can have on individuals, communities, clubs and society across the country.
The Scottish Disability Sport Week will also provide a platform to showcase the intersectionality of participants within disability sport and share the message that everyone can participate in sport.
Scottish Disability Sport’s CEO, Gavin MacLeod, said: “Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to be working closely with a diverse range of partners from across Scotland to co-ordinate the inaugural Scottish Disability Sport Week. This partnership approach will provide us with a strong platform to communicate the massive benefits of participation in physical activity and sport for people with disabilities.”
The week-long campaign aims to encourage people with disabilities to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them.
MacLeod added, “It will highlight the wide variety of opportunities available across the country and it is our hope that this campaign will encourage more people with disabilities, from all communities and backgrounds, to become more active.”
Each day of the week will be centered around a specific theme to provide a focused discussion. Monday will explore the benefits of getting active and participating in disability sports, Tuesday’s theme addresses overcoming barriers, Wednesday looks at intersectionality, Thursday highlights the impact of clubs and communities, and Friday gives guidance on next steps. On the weekend, Saturday allows the conversation to continue by encouraging people to share their own stories before Sunday concludes the week with the International Day of Persons with a Disability (3rd December).
The campaign builds on the success of the previous, award-winning Be Active Be Well programme, run by SDS and SAMH, that provided online activity and wellbeing sessions.
To get involved and stay updated on Scottish Disability Sport Week, make sure to follow SDS across social media and the website: Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.
The World Anti-Doping Agency releases the 2024 Prohibited List with the inclusion of tramadol
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its 2024 Prohibited List. The Prohibited List designates the substances and methods that are prohibited in sport.
Following an extensive consultation period by WADA, the 2024 Prohibited List was published on the 27 September 2023. This gives athletes and support personnel sufficient time to make themselves aware of the changes, review any medications they use on Global DRO, and apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) if required before the updated List comes into effect on 1 January 2024.
Included on the 2024 List is the substance tramadol which will be banned in- competition from 1 January 2024. Tramadol is an opioid analgesic and is classified as a prescription only medicine in the UK. Tramadol misuse is of concern because of the risks of physical dependence, opiate addiction, and overdose. It has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries. If you are concerned about tramadol misuse, please reach out to UK Anti-Doping or speak to your doctor prior to the change in status on the 2024 Prohibited List.
Please visit UK Anti-Doping’s website here to read a full summary of the changes on the 2024 List.
The following resources are also available to read on WADA’s website:
The SSF sportscotland Annual Awards 2024 are planned for 22nd February next year.
As part of the awards, SSF aim to recognise external organisations in the category of Organisation of the Year. This award is open to all organisations in Scotland who fit the criteria here. Partners who have worked with SSF previously – please base your nomination on the work you do with young people, it does not have to be specifically based on the partnership work you may do with SSF.
This organisation will have used sport and physical activity innovatively and intentionally to change the lives of young people in the last year.
Nominations close on Tuesday 15th November at 4pm.
French Hansa Nationals – Doesn’t count (explanation in summary)!
UK Hansa Nationals – 1st
Para World Sailing Championships – 4th
Swiss Hansa Nationals – 1st
UK Challenger Nationals – 4th
Eurosaf European Para Sailing Championships – 3rd/2nd
Hansa World Championships – 3rd
The 2023 season started as ever with the first of the UK Hansa TT regattas (initially delayed due to stormy weather) and so began what would prove to be a big old year for disability sailing!
I ended up extending a couple of my trips to the southernmost TTs and travelled to the Isle of White to join the Andrew Castle foundation, sailing on Sonar, three handed boats. It was interesting to gain experience on such a different class and learn the complexities of managing a crew. I wise man once told me that sailing other classes can help you better understand your own, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for more opportunities to diversify my knowledge.
April also saw the first regatta of the Sailability Scotland TT at Annandale, Lockerbie. After racing in one SS regatta last year, I was determined to do more with the Challenger class, so I collected one of the examples from Bardowie and brought it home for some serious TLC! ‘Mory Wilson RNVR’ made its debut at the Annandale Regatta and despite not achieving the best results, I’m happy to say it was the shiniest boat in the fleet!
Come May, and I started the first big trip of the year. The expedition began with a journey to Oxford for the English Challenger Championships. This was my first time at the champs, and it did not disappoint! There were strong and shifty winds across both days of the competition, which I enjoyed immensely, and I managed to stay close enough to the front to keep the old guard on their toes, finishing 4th overall.
But I hadn’t come to Oxford alone. My ever-faithful craft, The Glasgow Bonnet, was in tow and I headed straight to Lake Geneva for the French Hansa Nationals, pleased to find a saltire hanging from the balcony when I arrived! Once again, the French couldn’t be faulted for scale, with over 70 boats taking part. The sun shone for the whole event and the atmosphere was jovial. Unfortunately, the wind was not with us, and we only managed two races! Despite this, a good time was had by all who attended, and I shall return to the French Nationals in 2024.
The next big trip was in August and started with a week of RYA supported training before the UK Hansa Nationals. This training proved to be invaluable. Something seemed to click, and I finally understood how to handle and take advantage of boat-on-boat racing, which is something I have always struggled with. As a result, the fleets at the Nationals were noticeably more engaging in their tactics (all in a sporting way of course) and it made for a very intense competition. I finished 1st overall, maintaining the title for a third year in a row.
From Rutland, I headed back across the Channel and on to the Netherlands for the Allianz Para World Sailing Championships on Braassemermeere. This was the first Para Worlds to happen in unison with the World Sailing Championships, being held along the coast in The Hague. Making up the British Para Sailing Team was myself in the 303 Men’s class, Adam Billany and Emily Wright pairing up for the RS Venture Connect class, our coach, team manager, and two cats that were resident in the Airbnb! With only one entry per class per country, the Para Worlds was made up of the best of the best from the nations represented, which meant despite being an average sized fleet, every position from first to last was a possibility. There were a few days for training and then we were on for ten races across five days. I had mixed results early in the week, but I managed to pull back as the week progressed. The final race was broadcast live online by the World Sailing media team, and I think this was the tensest of the lot. Despite knowing the top position I could achieve was 4th overall, I aimed to win the final race as a good way to round off the competition. After a hectic start and catching a couple of shifts I found myself at the front of the fleet. However, this was not to last as, after a tense last leg, I was overtaken by the world champion with just a few meters to go! Still, I think finishing 4th is a respectable result and I still laugh when I watch the final race on YouTube!
When back in Scotland, I helped with organising the Bardowie Disability Sailing Open Day. Interest in the event from the public was good and we arranged for Hansa Class UK to send up their six-boat travelling fleet to ensure there were enough boats for the day. Despite an apocalyptic forecast, the weather for most of the day was lovely and everyone that attended thoroughly enjoyed it. Hopefully this will be the beginning of rebuilding disability sailing at Bardowie as we seem to have the enthusiasm and the boats!
After the Para Worlds, the next big event was the Swiss Hansa Nationals, this year held in Neuchatel. Having enjoyed the Swiss Nationals in 2022, I was keen to return and not only sailing in the 303 Single class, but the Doubles as well. After flying out, I was paired up with Matthias Kaiser, who thankfully spoke very good English! Conditions on the first three days were testing to say the least, with very light winds making racing almost impossible. Thankfully things improved on the last day and we had perfect conditions for the final races. I came away with a 1st in the Singles class and 7th in the Doubles. I think me and Matthias will need to get some practice in for next year!
To break up the Hansa theme a little, I returned to Rutland for the 2023 UK Challenger Nationals. Having gained more experience by racing in the Sailability Scotland TTs, I felt more confident going into the Nationals this year. Despite a few big swings in direction, the wind remained ideal throughout the three days of racing. My results were far more consistent, and I managed to hang about at the pointy end of the fleet, finishing 4th overall.
Next came the last and longest trip of the year, which I dubbed “The Iberian Tour”. This trip was five weeks long and perfectly overlapped the first half of term at university. Luckily, most of our live material is also recorded, which meant I was able to keep up with my studies while I was away!
It kicked off with the final UK Hansa TT regatta. Despite good results at the regattas I did attend, I had to miss a few due to the big competitions, which led to a tie-breaker at the final regatta at Frensham Pond, Surry. Unfortunately, the weather was not with us that day, and each fleet was limited to one race. I had a tough battle on my hands, with some seriously freaky wind and my rival, Mike Everitt, being local to Frensham. In the end, it came down to the last tack of the last race, in which Mike gained the upper hand and took the series trophy. It was a shame to lose the title after two years, but I’ll just have to race even harder in 2024!
From Frensham, I headed straight for the ferry to Bilboa, Spain. From there, I towed The Glasgow Bonnet to Los Alcazares for the EUROSAF Inclusive Sailing Championships. This week-long competition proved to be interesting, as there was a good number of locals who I have never met on the international circuit, and who have some crack sailors among their ranks, which kept the rest of us on our toes! With light but consistent winds across the week, a few adjustments to rigging and it was as intense as any competition, with big losses and big gains. I ended up finishing in 3rd place overall and 2nd in the Para class.
After the award ceremony, I started making my way across to Portimão, Portugal, which was to play host to the Hansa World Championships in a few weeks’ time. I had been talking to Jao Pinto, one of the Hansa sailors from Portimão, and he offered me use of his club to launch my boat and go training with him. So, I spent the next week training with Jao on the open sea where the race area was planned to be, as well joining sessions with his coach, Fred, who was also training some very competitive twelve-year-olds at the time! Hey, the more boats on a start line, the better! With the week of training complete, I felt fully prepared for the coming champs.
However, there was one more thing to do before the Worlds started, and that involved heading back across the border to the city of Cadiz, for the SailGP Cadiz Grand Prix. Originally, I was only attending the One Sport Race, where a SailGP sailor from each team is paired up with a disabled sailor from that team’s respective nation, to race together in RS Venture Connects. When the Swiss team heard I was coming and because I had worked with them last year, they offered me a place on their shore crew for a few extra days. So, I arrived on site on the Tuesday and spent the next few days helping around hanger and doing odd jobs. On Thursday morning, I got the chance to watch the team training on the water from the support boat before heading back in to compete in the One Sport Race in the afternoon.
I was paired up with Hannah Diamond who is the strategist for Emirates GBR. We got along great together and it was interesting to hear Hannah talking about comms and strategy as we went around the course. This was another fantastic experience at Sail GP and hopefully I can return for a third time in the future!
Finally, I headed back to Portimão for the Hansa World Championships. This was by far the largest competition I have competed in, with 189 entrants spread across four classes and 87 in the 303 Singles class alone. The week started off with light winds which allowed us to sail on the open sea and in full view of the beach goers at Praia de Rocha. After the first two days, the weather started to turn and the waves became increasingly large, so we raced the rest of the week within the harbour walls, meaning shorter but more intense races. Consistency was the name of the game in the varying weather, and after hovering around the 5th place mark (with a few 1sts and 9ths to spice things up), I was sitting 6th overall going into the final day. My goal was to finish the competition in 4th overall, which I felt would be consistent with my results across the year. However, after a series of perfect circumstances played out across the final race, I finished the Worlds 3rd overall! I didn’t actually realise it was possible for me to jump up to 3rd, and I had no idea I was on the podium until I was washing the boat and someone came over to congratulate me! This was a great way to round off the last five weeks of what has been a busy year overall.
So came to an end the 3,500 mile Iberian Tour and as I write this, classes have just restarted at University. It feels strange to be back after such a long season but I know that 2024 is just around the corner and with that begins the planning for what will hopefully be another equally busy year!
As always, none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the support I receive from SDS and I am extremely grateful for all that they have enabled me to achieve. I hope you have found this summary good reading and until the next update…
Rory McKinna
2024:
Sailability Scotland TT series
English Challenger Champs
UK Hansa TT series
UK Hansa Nationals
UK Challenger Nationals
RYA Multiclass Regatta
French Hansa Nationals
Swiss Hansa Nationals
Hansa European Championships (Netherlands)
Braassemermeer, The Netherlands is hosting the 2023 Allianz World Para Sailing Championships from 11th to 166th August 2023. With 70 sailors from 24 countries. Are racing across 4 Paralympic sailing disciplines. Paris 2024 Paralympic Sailing Competition places will be awarded as well as 4 World Championships Medals
The 2023 World Championship medallists, British Curling and Canada, will headline the 8th Stirling Wheelchair Curling International which takes place 17th to 20th October 2023 at the Peak (Stirling).
The event, hosted by Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club, will feature 10 international teams that will compete over four days. Two teams from USA plus England, Italy, Poland and Switzerland will join two team’s from British Curling and Canada. Game times are 10am and 2.30pm from Tuesday to Thursday, with the finals scheduled for 9.30am on Friday 20th October.
Andy Hemming, chair of the event said, “Once again, we have assembled a top class field which we hope will give all the teams a rewarding experience as they build toward the 2024 World Championships in Korea. Entry is free and spectators are welcome to come along and watch some of the best wheelchair curlers in the world display their great skills and accuracy and hopefully you will be inspired.”
GET INVOLVED: Stirling Wheelchair Curling Club holds sessions every Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm at the Peak. Please contact Jacky McLaren if you would like to try out the sport jackymclaren@talktalk.net
Chair SWCII 2022
Andy Hemming
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