Category: A News

Reid and Hewitt Reach Fifth Grand Slam Final Together

Brits Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett reached their fifth Grand Slam men’s doubles final together on Thursday at the Australian Open when the reigning Wimbledon and US Open champions beat Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina and Shingo Kunieda of Japan 6-1, 4-6, (10-6).

Top seeds Reid and Hewitt will face French second seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer in Friday’s final at Melbourne Park.

Hewett and Reid put the disappointment of bowing out of the men’s singles on Wednesday’s first day of wheelchair tennis competition firmly behind them as they reeled off six games in a row to take the first set. Although they were unable to wrap up the second set from 3-0 up, they were never behind in the deciding match tie-break and completed victory after an hour and 23 minutes.

“It feels good to be in a final again and have another opportunity to showcase what we can do on a tennis court, but I think the main satisfaction for us is how we played, especially in that first set and a half and the enjoyment we had on court and the teamwork we showed,” said Reid, who completed a career Grand Slam of doubles titles in Melbourne last year, when he and Hewett were on opposite sides of the net in the final.

“We said no matter what happened we wanted to go out there and enjoy ourselves and work as a team. To come out after yesterday and play some of the tennis we did in that first set and a half was just incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed it out there today,” said Hewett, who partnered Fernandez in last year’s Australian Open final, when Reid and Belgium’s Joachim Gerard came out on top.

Should Reid and Hewett win the trophy on Friday it would seal a first British Grand Slam title of the year. That would continue a run of unprecedented success for players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Performance Programme that saw Great Britain win seven Grand Slam titles in 2017 after a record medal haul at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

 

Football Festival puts Grampian Kids on Winning Form

Aberdeen FC Community Trust, in partnership with the Scottish FA, Sport Aberdeen and Grampian Disability Sport, ran the latest ASN Football Festival for primary and secondary schools in the North East of Scotland.

In the first of three festivals to be held in 2018, over 50 secondary school pupils and 30 primary school pupils, all with additional support needs and disabilities, enjoyed a day of fun skill challenges and small sided games at Aberdeen Sports Village.

The festival brought together pupils from 8 schools across the age groups, with schools based as far as Fraserburgh joining those in Aberdeen City for the day.

Harley Hamdani, Diversity & Inclusion Officer at AFCCT, commented, “Not only was this a fantastic opportunity for children and young people with additional support needs to participate in sport, it also allowed for greater social integration and new friendships being formed.

“This could not have been possible without the support from CNR International.”

Well done to the pupils, teachers, AFCCT and the volunteers for their efforts.

If any people living with a physical, sensory or learning disability are keen to get involved in Para Sport, please contact Alison Shaw on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or on 07828 744 848

Harley Hamdani, Diversity & Inclusion Officer, AFCCT|

Para Cycling Track Sessions

Glasgow Life has Para Cycling track sessions available at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Para Cycling sessions are dedicated coaching sessions for riders with physical and learning disabilities who want to keep fit and develop their skills and technique through coached sessions. Both experienced and new riders of any age will be eligible to attend the sessions.

Do you know of someone that has visual impairment and is interested in cycling? We have recruited several pilots to support tandem riding.

Sessions are one hour long, limited spaces available!

  • Solo riders > 4 riders per hour maximum
  • Tandem stokers > 6 riders per hour maximum
  • New and beginner riders / 6-7pm
  • Regular and experienced riders / 7-8pm

The next available dates are:

Thursday 1st February / Thursday 15th February

Thursday 1st March / Thursday 15th March

Thursday 29th March / Thursday 12th April

Cost: £6.10 per hour

For more information please speak to one of the velodrome staff. Sessions are very popular already and require advance booking.

For more information contact: gordon.watson@glasgowlife.org.uk

Forth Valley Disability Sport

Forth Valley GOGA 2018 Timetable

Forth Valley Disability Sport are delighted to launch their 2018 Get Out Get Active timetable. There are walking, fitness, cycling, swimming and sports club opportunities for individuals of all ages with a physical, sensory or learning disability. These are a great way to make friends, develop new skills and encourage disabled and non-disabled individuals to be active together.

The full timetable can be downloaded here.

Team Scotland Announce Para-Swimming and Powerlifting Selections

Selected for his second Games, powerlifter Micky Yule will be looking to make the step onto the podium after a fourth place finish at Glasgow 2014. Previously a competitor for the Army Weightlifting team, he was injured by an improvised explosive device while serving with the Scots Royal Engineers in 2010. After a year out to recover from his injuries, he returned to training, becoming the first Scot to compete at a Commonwealth Games in Para-Sport Powerlifting. He was also the first British athlete to win gold at the 2016 Invictus Games, taking titles in both 2014 and 2016. After several injury setbacks in 2017, he is on the comeback trail and, if he can recapture the form that places him second on the Commonwealth rankings, he is a true medal contender in the Heavyweight division.

Micky Yule said: “I am proud to be selected for my second Commonwealth Games. I finished fourth in Glasgow last time out and felt how close it was to miss out on those medals. I go to the Gold Coast with one mission and that’s to come home with a medal. Nothing else will do!”

Two young Para-Swimmers are also named to today and will be aiming to emulate the success of swimming sensation Erraid Davies at Glasgow 2014. Holder of an incredible 14 Scottish records in the S9 and S10 categories, 14 year old Toni Shaw is the youngest athlete named for Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date. Selection comes on the back of an outstanding 2017, where she won multiple medals at the World Para-Swimming Series and earned selection to the senior team for the World Para-Swimming Championships in Mexico.

Toni will swim the SB9 100m Breaststroke, the event in which Davies won her memorable bronze in Glasgow, as well as the S9 100m Freestyle, S9 100m Backstroke and the SM10 200m Individual Medley. She is joined by 16 year old Beth Johnston in the 200m Individual Medley. Beth took two gold and a silver at the penultimate World Para-Swimming Series event in Indianapolis and set Scottish records over 50m and 100m Backstroke in 2017.

Ally Whike, Performance Director at Scottish Swimming said: “Both Toni and Beth have upped their game throughout the qualification period and I’ve been impressed by their approach to each meet they have competed in. This will hold them in good stead to perform at their best come April.”

SELECTED ATHLETES

PARA-SWIMMING)

Beth Johnston, Galashiels
Toni Shaw, Aberdeen

POWERLIFTING

Micky Yule, Musselburgh / Southampton

West of Scotland Parasport Festival

We are delighted to announce details for the upcoming West Para-port Festival 2018

Date:   Friday 9th March 2018

Time:  10.00am – 3.00pm (9:30am arrival and registration)

Venue: Ravenscraig, Motherwell

The Para-sport Festival is aimed at children who have a physical disability and/or visual impairment who attend mainstream school and are aged between P6 – S6.

This event is designed to allow young people to experience a range of Para-sports delivered by some of the best clubs and coaches available in the West of Scotland.

It provides a range of opportunities for young people to try new and exciting sports and learn more about the pathways that are available in the region. Furthermore, the event will highlight the opportunities for young people with disabilities to achieve at the highest level and hopefully inspire them to become our stars of the future.

Examples of sports that may be on offer are: Athletics, Boccia, Basketball, Football, Rowing, Tennis, Table Tennis etc.

Booking information

To book on please read and complete the information and consent form and return it to Lynn Allison lynn.allison@scottishdisabilitysport.com or Lori Ure lori.ure@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Please click here for consent form.

Please note the closing date is Friday 16th February but places are limited to 100 pupils so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Another Excellent Run for Fife Athlete

Owen Miller from Fife AC ran at the FPSG Scottish National Indoor Open event at the weekend and recorded the second fastest time in his career. Coach Steve Doig was pleased with his time of 4.03.13 for second place in the A race. Owen was beaten by one of his new training partners, Alex Johnston from Pitreavie AAC, who ran 4.02.36 for a 7 second PB.

This is Owen’s best ever time indoors and is his second fastest time ever – beaten only by his 4.02.63 in 2012 prior to the Paralympic Games in London when he was challenging for a place in the British team. Owen was delighted with his quality run for the second weekend in succession.

Coach and athlete have now set new targets for the period ahead. Owen has always believed that one day he will break 4 minutes for 1500 metres. The start he has made this season suggest that he is very much on the right track. Well done yet again Owen.

Photo: many thanks to Bobby Gavin 

 

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

RDA Volunteer helps Rescue Horses in South Africa

In October last year one of Kinfauns Riding for Disabled (RDA) volunteers went to South Africa, for three weeks, to help at the Cintsa non-profit horse rescue centre, who currently have 48 horses in their care.

Prior to going, Clare did some fund raising for the rescue centre as it is a constant battle to feed and care for so many horses. With help from family and friends and many volunteers from Kinfauns RDA they raised just over £1,000.

They also decided to get some second hand horsey things to donate. This took off and that ended up with seven boxes, over 90kgs, of items which then had to be shipped to South Africa. The import regulations and cost were very tricky but some wonderful generous people helped to make it happen. The boxes finally arrived in time for New Year.

Lots of the lovely Kinfauns volunteers supported the fund raising by attending an afternoon tea and many also donated things to send out.

There were two saddles, girths, numnahs, bridles, grooming kits, haynets, bandages, even polo mints, rain sheets, fly masks and many other things.  The local vets were very supportive too.

One of the main ways that the rescue centre raise funds to support itself is by doing trail rides with some of the rescue horses. Angie, from Kinfauns RDA, was a star and donated 16 riding helmets. These will be a fantastic help to the rescue centre.

This is a lovely story of an RDA stables in Scotland, along with many of its volunteers, helping lots of beautiful horses in a rescue centre in South Africa. The rescue is always looking for volunteers so if you would like to donate, or would be interested in an amazing volunteering experience in South Africa, please contact Clare: cfwmarshall@gmail.com for more information.

Cintsa Facebook and web page links – https://www.facebook.com/Cintsa-Horses-The-Newhampshire-Rehabilitation-Centre-198431720199937/ and http://cintsahorses.co.za/

 

Special Present for Young Fife Wheelchair Racer

Niamh Currie from Dunfermline received a very special Christmas present at the end of last year – a brand new colourful racing wheelchair built by Bromakin.

The St Margaret’s Primary School pupil is a member of the Disability Sport Fife (DSF) wheelchair racing squad and has been training and competing in a borrowed DSF chair. Her enthusiasm for the sport prompted her parents to explore options for funding and a grant for £2,500 became available from the Variety Club in Scotland. The family met the shortfall. A very special Christmas present for the young Fife athlete who is coached by Pamela Robson and trains at Pitreavie Athletics Centre.

Chair design is so important to individual athletes for comfort and efficiency. Since she started racing Niamh has pushed in a wheelchair funded by the students at the University of St Andrews Netball Club that was previously used by Callum Sloan before he acquired his new chair. Niamh’s new chair has been measured up for her specifically and she is delighted with all aspects. She will have many enjoyable experiences in her new chair and has already been out and about on numerous occasions including a session with the squad.

Niamh is the second Fife athlete to secure a new racing wheelchair in 2018. This now means that all five squad members have managed to access new racing wheelchairs in the last two years. Most have moved from borrowed chairs. The athletes and Disability Sport Fife are indebted to the many individuals and organisations that have contributed almost £20,000 of funding to support the squad members over the past months.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife