Well done to young Disability Sport Fife athlete Callum Sloan from Dunfermline who recorded a personal best performance in the Great Scottish Run 2.5km race in Glasgow at the weekend.
Both Callum and coach Pamela Robson were pleased with the push in very cold conditions. Callum’s training partner Susanne McGrath from Glenrothes was scheduled to compete on the Sunday of the event but had to withdraw through illness.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife
Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) innovative Disability Inclusion Training (DIT) programme was announced as the winner of the Legacy 2014 Award at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in Edinburgh last night (28 Sep). Over 600 people joined the celebrations at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where the evening was hosted by double Olympic Gold medallist Shirley Robertson, OBE and comedian Fred MacAulay. Fresh from her exploits at the Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Paralympian and SDS DIT tutor Sammi Kinghorn took to the stage to receive the award from Minister for Public Health & Sport, Aileen Campbell MSP and sportscotland Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Harris.
The DIT is designed to increase the confidence and competence of education staff to include pupils with disabilities within physical education and extra-curricular activities. The theory element of the course tackles issues such as communication, terminology, inclusion models and disability spectrum issues. The practical section deals with inclusion in a variety of settings including warm ups, fun games, core skills and team sports. In the last year alone, SDS has delivered 71 Disability Inclusion Training courses involving 1,047 candidates.
Commenting on the award, SDS Coaching & Development Manager, Heather Lowden said;
“We are absolutely delighted to have received the Legacy 2014 Award. SDS is extremely proud of its Disability Inclusion Training programme which has made significant inroads to ensuring that teachers and education staff are given support and knowledge ensure the affective inclusion of pupils with disabilities in curricular and extra-curricular activities across Scotland”.
With more than 50 Scottish Olympians and Paralympians from the recent Games in Rio in attendance, the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards was a star-studded celebration of their outstanding achievements as well as the success of individuals, schools, clubs and teams across the whole of Scottish sport.
Gordon Reid was also amongst the awards on the evening, winning the Para-sport Athlete of the Year, following a first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, Wimbledon singles and doubles titles and Paralympic gold and silver.
Dunbar’s triple Paralympic medallist in athletics, Maria Lyle, also took the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy for the Young Athlete of the Year.
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The full list of the Award Winners on the evening were as follows;
Scottish Sportsperson of the Year – Emirates Lonsdale Trophy
Andy Murray OBE, Tennis
Male Athlete of the Year – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland
Andy Murray OBE, Tennis
Female Athlete of the Year – sponsored by EDF Energy
Heather Stanning MBE, Rowing
Para-Sport Athlete of the Year – sponsored by CGI
Gordon Reid, Wheelchair Tennis
Team of the Year – sponsored by PSL / Canterbury
GB Davis Cup Team, Tennis
Coach of the Year – sponsored by University of Stirling
Ben Higson & Steven Tigg, Swimming
Sporting Moment of the Year – sponsored by The Scottish Sun
Hibs score last minute goal to end 114 year wait for a Scottish Cup title – Football
Young Athlete of the Year – sponsored by EDF Energy
Maria Lyle, Para-Athletics
Sports Leader of the Year – sponsored by Brand Oath
Richard Thomas, Boxing
Governing Body of the Year – sponsored by Bluefin Sport
Scottish Athletics
Community Hub, Club or School of the Year – sponsored by sportscotland
Aviemore Community Sports Hub
Legacy 2014 Award – sponsored by Legacy 2014
SDS Disability Inclusion Training
Lifetime Achievement – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland
Katherine Grainger CBE, Rowing
Team Scot of the Year – sponsored by European Championships 2018
Steph Inglis, Judo
Huge congratulations to Ron McArthur, who has been awarded the 75th Anniversary Award for Service and Achievement at the 2016 Scottish Indoor Bowling Awards. This very special and well-deserved award is in recognition of the enormous impact Ron has had on the sport of bowls and for service and achievement.
Ron said: “Thanks to all at the SIBA for awarding me the 75th Anniversary Award for Service and 
Achievement. It means so much to me, because it was given by the people who matter to me. It was given for what I love to do with a passion. I am very fortunate to work with people I love, get supported by people I love and do it for people I love. What more could I want. Thank you.”
If you would like to love bowls as much as Ron, get in touch at Ron.McArthur@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07788 878470.
Two of the three nominated bowlers for the Scottish Para Bowler of the year award at the recent Scottish Indoor Bowling Awards Night were from Fife and the Abbeyview club in Dunfermline. Fife bowlers Barbara McMillan and Maria Spencer lined up alongside Garry Brown from Blantyre Miners Welfare for the prestigious award.
2015 Visually Impaired World Champion Maria Spencer lifted the award and became the first person to be celebrated at the Annual Awards in this new category. Maria is a double world champion. She won the B3 singles title in New Zealand last year and four years earlier in South Africa.
Fittingly Maria received her award on the night in the company of her coach and director Sarah Jane Ewing from Dunfermline. Maria has had a challenging time recently with illness and surgery and the award has lifted her spirits enormously.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife
Enjoy a taster of the sport with an introduction to the basics and how the game is played. Sessions are delivered by RCCC qualified coaches.
Where: The Peak, Stirling
When: Wednesday 5th October 2016, 1230-1430
Cost: Free
For further information or to register please contact Hammy McMillan on 01786 448 308 or email askus@activestirling.org.uk.
On Sunday 25 September 2016, an enthusiastic group of coaches attended an Inclusive Bowls Coaching Workshop at the Ambassador Indoor Bowling Centre in Prestwick.
The purpose of the workshop was to allow participants to gain a greater understanding of inclusion for bowlers with a physical, sensory or learning disability, as well as giving them an insight into the classification process within bowls and knowledge of adaptation of the young persons’ bowls pack.
The tutors for the day were amongst the best in Scotland – Bob Dick and Ron McArthur, National Coaches for the Scottish Disability Bowls Squad; Richard Brickley MBE, one of only three International Bowls for the Disabled classifiers within the UK; and Val Wright, tutor for Bowls Scotland.
Each delegate attended four workshops which focussed on specific dimensions of bowls for bowlers with a disability. The day was concluded with a stimulating question and answer panel session with four of Scotland’s leading bowlers, John Wardrope, Robert Barr, Mary Wilson and John Hughes, a member of the Scottish team who played in the IBD World Championships in New Zealand 2015.
The day was a resounding success, with all the coaches taking a great deal of learning from the experience. An exciting development is that a session for bowlers with a disability is planned in the near future in the West of Scotland. Our thanks must be extended to the tutors, bowlers for sharing their experience, and the Ambassador Indoor Bowling Centre for making us so very welcome.
For further details, or if you would like to become involved in disability bowls, please contact Ron McArthur, SDS Inclusive Bowls Performance Development Manager, on ron.mcarthur@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07788 878 470.
Scotland will be represented in the first ever GB Para Badminton squad as preparations now begin for the sports debut at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. Alan Oliver, who lives in Tweedbank, is the only Scottish player to be named among the nine-strong squad, consisting of four classification groups. Each player has won a medal at World level and five are the reigning world champions.
Oliver said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be selected for the GB Para-Badminton squad.
“I’m grateful to everyone for their support and generosity over the years and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
For a full report please see the Badminton Scotland website.
Well done to Eleanor Clark from the Kirkcaldy Blind Bowlers and Fair Isle Bowling Club who has won a silver medal in the BI category at the British Championships for Visually Impaired Bowlers organised by the UK Visually Impaired Bowls Association.
The Championships were held in Leamington Spa and run over three days and Eleanor just lost out on the gold medal on a count back of shots. Caroline Tait from the Fair Isle Club also competed in the B4 class in her first British Championships.
Eleanor is one of the most experienced and respected Disability Sport Fife bowlers. Eleanor’s sight has been deteriorating each year and she now bowls in class B1 which is the section for totally blind bowlers. Previously she bowled as a partially sighted bowler in the B2 class. The deterioration in sight has resulted in her having to make major adjustments in technique and forced her to use occlusion glasses. All B1 sports men and women across all sports use blacked out glasses or goggles to ensure fairness across the class.
Earlier in the year Eleanor won the B1 singles title at the 2016 National Championships organised by the Scottish Association of Blind Bowlers (SABB) at Ardgowan in Greenock. Eleanor’s regular director on the green is now Doreen Strachan from West Lothian. Eleanor has been selected by SABB to compete at the 2017 World Championships in Cape Town and she is hopeful that Doreen will be by her side.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife
In the wake of becoming Great Britain’s first ever Paralympic Games men’s singles gold medallist, Glasgow wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid has realised another historic landmark after being confirmed this week as the first Brit to reach world No.1 in the men’s singles world rankings.
Reid, 24, completed his third Paralympics on Friday with a 6-2, 6-1 win over his doubles partner Alfie Hewett in the gold medal match in Rio. A day earlier Reid and Hewett finished as silver medallists in the men’s doubles behind French top seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer.
Between them Reid and Hewett contributed three of the record six medals won at a single Paralympics by players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme selected for the ParalympicsGB team.
But with Reid having arrived in Rio world ranked No.3 it was his 7-5, 6-2 victory over top seed Houdet in the men’s singles semi-final that was the first important part of toppling Houdet at the top of the world rankings. Hewett also beat Belgian world No.2 Joachim Gerard in the other semi-final before Reid’s win in Friday’s gold medal match.
“It’s such an amazing way to round off an incredible year for me. After winning Wimbledon titles and then the success I’ve had out here in Rio, it means everything to be world No.1 before I even fly back home,” said Reid, who also started off 2016 by claiming his first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open before finishing runner-up at Roland Garros.
“It’s always been a career goal of mine and it shows you’re the most consistent player on the tour. The moments when you win on the court are the most special but this feels pretty good too, especially being the first British guy to do it in my division.
“The hard bit now will be staying there! But I’ll keep working hard and make sure I give it my best,” added Reid.
If Reid was to maintain his place at the top of the world rankings to be year-end world No.1 in singles he would have the distinction of having been year-end No.1 in men’s doubles and men’s singles in successive seasons.
A major part in the Scot maintaining his place atop the rankings will be the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 30th November to 4th December.. Reid finished third at the year-end championship for the world’s top eight singles players in 2014.
Photo courtesy of the Tennis Foundation
The 2016 SDS National Senior Athletics Championships were held on Wednesday 14 September at Grangemouth Athletics Stadium in partnership with scottishathletics. With news of Scottish success winging its way from Rio and providing inspiration to the 250 plus athletes from branches around Scotland the action got underway with the 1500m. SDS Academy athlete Owen Miller finished just outside the Championship Record he claimed at last year’s event to claim gold from his talented stable-mate Sam Fernando. West of Scotland’s T20 athlete Margaret Newell secured the female title to add alongside her 800m and Long Jump titles she garnered later in the day. Dumfries and Galloway’s T54 athlete Sean Frame eased home as fastest wheelchair athlete before completing a clean sweep of titles ahead of fellow Red Star athlete’s Kyle Brotherton and Luke Deighan.
There was an intriguing contest in the female wheelchair sections where Fife’s inexperienced Susanne McGrath faced up against the youthful exuberance of Tayside’s Murran McKay. The younger athlete won the tight contests this year but as both athletes gain more experience expect these battles to continue again next year.
Jennifer Power from West of Scotland proved to be invincible on the track with three golds in the 100, 200m and relay.
Local athlete George Le Hardy won two impressive golds in the 200m and 400m events finishing in front of West of Scotland’s Robert Ferrol in the former and Forth Valley’s Steven Stone in the latter. In the thrilling 4 x 400m event that culminated the track events – which saw Owen Miller chasing down West of Scotland’s Alexander Thomson in the last leg to win for Fife – Le Hardy, who anchored the, Forth Valley team to third place, ran the fastest lap of the race in 54.05.
Following last year’s long list of Championship Records tumbling, 2016 proved a relatively fallow Championships with just two records falling. Michael Mellon (Fife) bettered his own javelin record by 53cm and Dumfries & Galloway’s Lee Lower did likewise by adding 2cm to his existing seated javelin throw record.
The leading team at this event win the prestigious AR Mitchell trophy named after the late former chair of the precursor to Scottish Disability Sport – the Scottish Sports Association for the Disabled (SSAD). The two super powers of West of Scotland and Fife tend to contest this trophy each year and this year proved no different, with a notable mention to the efforts of Forth Valley who finished in third place on their home patch. Fife’s strength in depth proved to be the difference this year as they retained the trophy they won last year in Perth. Hopefully this serves to inspire other areas in Scotland to identify athletes to bolster their teams with a view to wresting the title from the Kingdom’s grasp.
The event missed the considerable input of the ubiquitous Shona Malcolm OBE and Janice Eaglesham MBE who were both out in Rio supporting the athletes they had worked so hard with. Replacing these lynchpins of the Senior Championships is next to impossible so thanks must go to Claire Archbold and Alisdhair Love from scottishathletics who so ably assisted throughout. We are extremely grateful to the efforts of the sizeable volunteer group from scottishathletics without which, would make this event impossible.
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