Category: A News

Photo of a table with lots of trophies on it

SDS Annual Awards 2024

Nominations are invited from those connected with SDS for the annual awards that will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on Sunday 6th October 2024 at the Stirling Court Hotel, Stirling. It is important that there is a clear indication why the individual/group is being nominated. 

Awards Nomination Form 2024

The Awards Panel will then meet to consider all applications and decide the winner for each category in advance of the presentations at the AGM on Sunday 6th October 2024.  

A list of former award winners can be seen on our website here: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds-award-winners/ 

All nominations should be returned in confidence, before Friday 13th September 2024, to admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Alternatively the Awards Nomination Form can be completed online here: Scottish Disability Sport Annual Awards 2024

Poster that is split with text and a photo. The photo on the right is of a young boy smiling and participating in sport. The text is on the left and says, get out get active impact report: supporting healthier, happier and more active lives.

Thousand More Active Thanks to the Power of GOGA

Get Out Get Active (GOGA) has released its latest impact report, showing thousands of people across the UK have been given the opportunity to be active thanks to the programme.

Designed to support disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together, GOGA has reached more than 55,000 people since its inception in 2016.

Funded by Spirit of 2012, Sport England and London Marathon Foundation, with Activity Alliance as the creator and lead partner, it has transformed people’s lives. From swimming clubs in the south of England to walking groups in Northern Ireland there have been 3,331 activities and interventions in its seven years.

It strengthens communities, with six in 10 GOGA participants saying they are now more connected within their community. Seven in 10 have continued to be active and maintained their activity levels outside of the GOGA programme.

In Scotland, GOGA Tayside is a collaboration between NHS Tayside and Scottish Disability Sport with the unique opportunity and approach to strengthening links between physical activity and health.

“GOGA provides fun, free and inclusive activities with the aims of improving health, self-esteem, mood and energy levels, whilst fostering community connectedness,” – GOGA Tayside.

GOGA Tayside is now proudly funded by Tayside Health Fund from October 2023.

As well as participants there have been more than 4,000 volunteers engaged at sessions, with almost three in 10 volunteers having a disability.

Adam Blaze, CEO of Activity Alliance said:

“Get Out Get Active proves time and again how inclusive activity can benefit people across the UK in more ways than just becoming active. As the creator and lead partner it perfectly encapsulates ways to achieve our vision of fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.

“By focussing on creative and innovative ways to engage people GOGA is leading the way. A flexible and fearless approach to trying and testing new activities has led to remarkable results.

The impact on individuals and communities has been incredibly rewarding to see. With local expertise thousands of the least active people in society have been given a chance to enjoy a happier and healthier life. GOGA uses activity for good and we can’t underestimate the impact of the programme.”

Ruth Hollis, Chief Executive at Spirit of 2012, said:

“As the founding and principle funder of Get Out Get Active, Spirit’s largest funded project, we are delighted to share the impact of the programme. GOGA has enabled thousands of people, young and old, disabled and non disabled, to be active together across the UK – focusing on reaching those with the highest barriers to taking part.

“This report shows that GOGA has had a demonstrable impact on the wellbeing and sustaining participation in physical activity for people in communities across the UK. It should be a call to action for others in the physical activity sector or wanting reduce health inequalities to learn from GOGA’s signature person-centred approach in all future programmes that set out to tackle inactivity.

“I want to thank the team at Activity Alliance and Wavehill and all those that delivered the programme across the UK for delivering this to the people that need it most.”

Whilst aiming to get some of the UK’s least active people moving more, the financial benefits are brought to life in the latest impact report. It shows that for every £1 invested, GOGA has delivered more than £4.60 in social, environmental, and economic value.

The report showcases the insight gathered throughout GOGA’s lifetime, providing valuable information for those that want to mirror the successes seen. It shows that GOGA has become much more than an activity programme. It is an approach to helping organisations and communities, across the UK, to support the least active disabled and non-disabled people in activity.

You can read the full Get Out Get Active Impact report on the Get Out Get Active website here.

Photo of a young girl sitting in a green kayak smiling to the camera

Summer Camp 2024: Day One

Day one of the SDS Summer Camp has been action packed with activities and despite the weather’s best efforts, not even the continuous rain could dampen anyone’s spirits.  

After all the campers had arrived and settled in, the first thing on the agenda was lunch! The chef, Andy, treated us all to pizza and pasta – a fitting meal, giving everyone plenty of energy for the sporty afternoon that lay ahead. 

Campers were divided into three teams: red, blue and green, before they split up to do different activities: tennis, athletics and floor curling. It was great to see the red team tackle the technical skills of tennis so positively. They did drills that tested their hand-eye coordination, before practicing rallies and serving. Although tennis is largely an individual sport, the red team really showed their team spirit today and were super at supporting each other. Grace, the YPSP Administrator, was part of the red team and she said: “It’s been great to see the team working together, cheering each other on and making long lasting memories!” 

Faye from Scottish Curling ran the floor curling session which proved to be a lot of fun! The blue team had great accuracy – often finding the center of the target. Their focus and accuracy found them scoring the most points in the final target game – beating the red team by one point to take the win with 16 points. The green team took third with 13 points. A very close competition! Felicity, from the blue team, said: “I’ve really enjoyed today. I’ve been at Badaguish before but it’s even better this time. I think it’s nice to experience it again and it just seems better. I’ve got a couple of new friends, someone called Iona, she’s in my team.” 

Athletics was the third sport on in the first half of the afternoon. The green team did well in the running drills, which tested their balance and coordination. There was also lots of laughter and things even got quite competitive in the relay races!  

After each team had rotated around all three sports, it was a quick change into waterproofs before climbing into the van and heading to Loch Insch for some watersports and archery.  

Archery proved to be a great hit but the watersports seemed to be a highlight of the day for the majority of the campers, with participants taking part in kayaking and paddleboarding – some were even brave enough to go for a swim in the loch! 

Ling Mann, a leader for team green, said: “It was a fantastic first day. The kayaking and archery were very popular amongst the team. The watersports were a big hit.” 

Lucy, who is also in the green team, had a special highlight of the day: “Ling and Jonny falling off their boats was my highlight. They flipped over and fell out completely. It was really fun!” 

Layla from the red team said: “The red team have done brilliantly today! Kayaking was my favourite, it was really fun. I enjoyed making some new friends and very excited for tomorrow!”  

It seems like lots of new friendships were formed on day one. “My favourite part of the day was petting the duck that was getting carried out the restaurant”, said Leo, red team member.  

Harris, from the blue team, also liked the social element of the summer camp: “I’ve enjoyed meeting everyone and the team mascot is to keep so the other teams don’t steal it, to get points. The flag is to basically fly around so that people know that the blue team is coming. We’re going to win!” 

Dinner at Loch Insh heated up the campers, as everyone tucked in to either a steak pie, chicken or veggie burger followed by some ice cream or sticky toffee pudding!  

By the time we arrived back at Badaguish, there was just time for a hot chocolate before bedtime. William, a leader from team blue, said: “A lot of them have heard about the itinerary for the next few days and they’re so excited about the opportunity to continue trying new sports that they could possibly take into their day-to-day lives.” 

We hope everyone has a good night’s rest – they’ll need it ahead of day two’s adventures!

Photo of Grace smiling to camera. She is wearing a pink jacket and is standing in front of a river. Boats are sitting on the water and on the other side of the river is a street of multi coloured houses.

Grace Thrives in New Role as YPSP Administrator

Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you applied for the role of the Young Person’s Sport Panel (YPSP) Administrator?  

 I am currently going into my final year as a Sport Studies student at Stirling Uni.  I’m a past member of the SDS YPSP and current member of both the sportscotland YPSP and Forth Valley Disability Sport YPSP.  I’m also a FitForGirls tutor with sportscotland and a tutor with SDS. 

Growing up with a disability and participating in sport as a Para swimmer, I have experienced many different barriers and challenges which have driven my passion for inclusion and my desire to make a difference to the sporting world.  I joined the Young Start programme at a time where I wasn’t sure where I fitted in sport as I had recently dropped out of swimming but the Young Start programme and the SDS  YPSP provided me with a new purpose and a love for volunteering. The confidence I gained through the Young Start programme and the YPSP encouraged me to get involved in other opportunities out with disability sport.  When I graduate next year, I plan on working within sport fulltime. 

 I applied for the role of YPSP administrator because I wanted to give back to the panel which had given me so much. I know the importance of the role that the YPSP administrator has on the YPSP members and I wanted to ensure that the panel members get the most out of their time on the panel.  I want to ensure that the current YPSP members have the same and if not better experience than I had on the YPSP. 

 

 What have you been up to since starting the new role? Are you enjoying it? 

Since starting the role, I have been catching up on what the YPSP have done so far and what they would like to do in the future. I want to make sure I listen to YPSP members and understand the opportunities they want to participate in during their time on the panel.  I was grateful to have people who listened to me during my time on the panel.  The YPSP have been busy creating lots of videos for social media, and I have loved working with them – it is great to hear them share their story!  I also enjoyed getting to know the YPSP members and look forward to our first meeting together in July.  We also have an in-person day at the end of July, so it will be lovely to meet everyone in person.  

 

Why do you think it is important for SDS to have a YPSP?  

I’m a huge advocate for the importance of listening to and valuing the voice of young people.  I am passionate about the impact the voice of young people can have and the way we can use it to make a difference to sport.  I believe it is important for SDS to have a YPSP because it provides SDS with the chance to speak and listen to the first-hand and current experiences of people with a disability.  Young people also offer a different perspective and they are the future generation, therefore it is important that organisations like SDS ensure that their work considers the needs and interests of young people.  Having a YPSP also provides young people with the opportunity to feel like they are making a real difference to their sporting experience, their community and for those around them. 

  

Do you think this role will help you develop your skills and if so, why?  

This role will allow me to gain so many different experiences and skills which will benefit and support me in my future career in sport.  I believe that you are always growing and developing as a person and I’m excited to see what I will learn and how I will grow in this role.  One opportunity that this role offers is the chance to work directly in collaboration and partnership with both my SDS colleagues and external organisations, in order to offer a range of opportunities for the YPSP. This will provide me with the chance to learn about a range of organisations and I’m looking forward to being able to grow my network within the sporting sector. 

 

 Why do you think young people should get involved in the YPSP?  

The YPSP is a fantastic opportunity to meet other young people who have a disability and who are like-minded and have a passion to make a difference to disability sport.  The YPSP provides young people with so many different opportunities to gain new skills, knowledge and experiences which will benefit them throughout their life.  YPSP members can influence disability sport at the highest level in Scotland, and SDS welcomes and values their thoughts, opinions, beliefs and experiences in their work! The YPSP was such a positive experience for myself and I got to experience so many different things that I wouldn’t have thought possible! It gave me confidence and self-belief which has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. The YPSP opened so many doors for me and has encouraged me to follow my passion to change sport for the better! 

Action shot of Dr Julie McElroy running with her frame runner during the London Marathon. She is smiling to the camera

The Inspiring Journey of Dr. Julie McElroy in the London Marathon

Dr. Julie McElroy, a woman from Glasgow with cerebral palsy, etched her name in history as she became the first female frame runner to conquer the iconic London Marathon. The marathon, a gruelling 26.2-mile journey through London’s bustling streets, presented physical and mental challenges that tested Julie’s endurance and determination.

As a frame runner, Julie faced unique obstacles navigating through the crowded course. The atmosphere was electrifying, with crowds packed tightly along the route, making navigation a real challenge. However, with the invaluable support of her guide, Gill Menzies, Julie expertly manoeuvred through the sea of runners, ensuring enough space for her to move effectively.

Completing the marathon in five hours and 59 minutes, Julie described the experience as surreal. Physically, she emerged unscathed, without any cuts or blisters, and feeling pain-free. However, emotionally, she admitted feeling drained after the intense mental and physical challenges of the race.

One of the toughest moments came around the 16-mile mark, where Julie relied on Gill’ encouragement and energy boosts to keep pushing forward. Using the frame runner for the marathon proved both exhilarating and challenging. Navigating the bustling streets of London presented its obstacles, and being on the frame runner for six hours, the longest duration thus far, tested Julie’s endurance and concentration. Yet, guided by Gill, she maintained her position and pushed through the adversity.

The pinnacle of Julie’s experience came as she crossed the finish line in under six hours, marking a significant milestone in her journey. Remarkably, she emerged from the race unscathed, a testament to her resilience and determination.

Looking ahead, Julie has a calendar full of 10k runs and half marathons lined up for the remainder of the year. Additionally, she has been invited to participate in a special event of the 50th-anniversary celebration of Knockhill, the Scottish Rally Driving circuit, in November. These opportunities are a testament to Julie’s unwavering dedication to overcoming obstacles and achieving her goals.

Julie credits much of her success to her coach, Gordon Innes, whose guidance and support were instrumental in preparing her for the London Marathon. Without his expertise and encouragement, reaching this milestone would not have been possible. Frame running has truly revolutionised Julie’s approach to staying pain-free, allowing her to pursue her passion for running and inspire others along the way.

Julie has been actively fundraising for the Richard Whitehead Foundation in the course of the London Marathon, established by British athlete Richard Whitehead MBE, who participates in running using prosthetic legs.

Julie’s journey in the London Marathon serves as a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the ability to overcome adversity.

Dr. Julie McElroy, a woman with cerebral palsy, made history as the first female frame runner to finish the London Marathon. She completed the race in five hours and 59 minutes. McElroy, introduced to frame running three years ago after an injury, hopes to inspire others with disabilities. Julie joined Victoria Park Athletics Club three years ago and met a Coach, Gordon Innes who has coached her to success.FREE FIRST USE Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital infogibsondigital@gmail.co.uk www.gibsondigital.co.uk Julie McIlroy has Perpetual License to use these pictures in print and online All images © Gibson Digital 2024. Free first use only for editorial in connection with the commissioning client's press-released story. All other rights are reserved. Use in any other context is expressly prohibited without prior permission.
Mark Gibson
Dr Julie McElroy running with her frame runner during the London Marathon
Credit: Sportograf
Dr. Julie McElroy, a woman with cerebral palsy, made history as the first female frame runner to finish the London Marathon. She completed the race in five hours and 59 minutes. McElroy, introduced to frame running three years ago after an injury, hopes to inspire others with disabilities. Julie joined Victoria Park Athletics Club three years ago and met a Coach, Gordon Innes who has coached her to success.FREE FIRST USE Mark F Gibson / Gibson Digital infogibsondigital@gmail.co.uk www.gibsondigital.co.uk Julie McIlroy has Perpetual License to use these pictures in print and online All images © Gibson Digital 2024. Free first use only for editorial in connection with the commissioning client's press-released story. All other rights are reserved. Use in any other context is expressly prohibited without prior permission.
Credit: Mark Gibson
Portrait photo of Hugh Nibloe. he is wearing ParalympicsGB team kit and sitting in his wheelchair, smiling to camera.

Nine Scots on British Curling’s World Class Programme

British Curling announced last week their biggest ever cohort of Para athletes to be selected for the World Class Programme 2024-2025 season, and nine Scots made the cut.

The 12 strong squad includes five Scottish Paralympians: Hugh Nibloe, Gregor Ewan, Robert McPherson, Gary Smith and Meggan Dawson Farrell, alongside Jo (Joanna) Butterfield, Gary Logan, Charlotte McKenna and Martin Sutherland as World Championship representatives. England’s Stewart Pimblett completes the set of the experienced athletes.

Newcomers to that squad are England’s Mixed Doubles world champs Karen Aspey and Julian Mattison, who have moved up from Paralympic Performance Foundation (PPF) level.

Three more of last season’s PPF squad join the Programme: Scotland’s Keith Gray and England’s George Potts and Jason Kean have graduated to national level support, a group that is completed by a third English player Jean Guild.

“Congratulations to all of those who have been selected to the world class programme this season after a rigorous selection process,” said British Curling Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan.

“This is the largest squad we have recruited to the Paralympic programme and consists of many familiar faces and experienced athletes along with lots of fresh blood, demonstrating how effectively our Paralympic pathway is now working, enhanced by our recruitment campaigns north and south of the border, with more English athletes on board than ever before.

“International wheelchair curling has never been so competitive, which is being felt ever more keenly with just two years to go to Mila Cortina in 2026 with two medal opportunities available from the team and mixed doubles disciplines in the Paralympic programme for the first time.

“We believe having a large squad will not only boost our chances in 2026 and beyond, we also know it will help everyone at different stages of the pathway to develop well in order to win well when it counts in 2026.”

 

Selected athletes for 2024/25 – Paralympic Squad:

Charlotte McKenna

Gary Logan

Gary Smith

Gregor Ewan

Hugh Nibloe

Joanna Butterfield

Julian Mattison

Karen Aspey

Martin Sutherland

Meggan Dawson-Farrell

Robert McPherson

Stewart Pimblett

Charlotte McKenna

Portrait photo of Lynne Glen smiling to the camera

The Power of Pride

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice  

June is recognised internationally as Pride Month. It provides millions of people worldwide with a platform to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ community. 

Lynne Glen, Scottish Disability Sports’ Head of Development and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, believes that it is incredibly important to have role models in the sport community. 

“It is essential for everyone to see the LGBTQ+ community represented in all areas of sport and physical activity. The visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals can change the perceptions of people who aren’t part of the community and reinforce to people of all ages who want to come out, that sports can offer a positive experience and impact on individuals by participating, which can be significant to their health and wellbeing,” said Lynne. 

Lynne knows the impact that role models can have and feels passionate about challenging misconceptions: “Generally, I want to fit into life with everyone else but I don’t shy away from mentioning my wife in conversation as it is essential to be visible and not hide away.” 

She continues to say, “I do feel a responsibility to do this, as the many LGBTQ+ have done so before me to make it easier for me to live my life as an out gay woman. I find this easier now but haven’t always.” 

Lynne has been involved in disability sport in various capacities since 2002. Her journey started as a volunteer within the Falkirk area. Following this, she and her wife set up Denny Devils Multi Sports Club – a multisport club for children and young people with a disability. 

“I felt very passionate about everyone accessing sports and physical activity, and volunteering in disability sports was very rewarding,” said Lynne. 

Today – alongside her work at Scottish Disability Sport – Lynne volunteers at a local Boccia club as a safeguarding officer as well as often overseeing the volunteer recruitment and development. Furthermore, she is a volunteer director with Judo Scotland, focusing her efforts on promoting and supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 

Lynne believes that Pride Month alongside other campaigns, such as The Rainbow Laces Campaign, play an important role in challenging societal perceptions: “They raise awareness in the community to non-members of the community, showing that we are not any different from anyone else who may be in your workplace or be your club member or volunteer. Also that the LGBTQ+ community can offer diverse thinking and outcomes for your organisation.”  

Although there has been development in societal acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, it is an important conversation to continue having.  

“I definitely do feel there has been a shift in acceptance in society but I also feel more progress can be made, as many people still experience discrimination in their everyday lives,” said Lynne.  

“I find it easier to be open and out within my professional role in SDS.  I feel confident being ‘my authentic self’ and can speak openly about my wife and family. This hasn’t always been the case in previous employment in different sectors though.  We had to wait for almost twenty years before we could marry. Thankfully, same sex people can now marry and have been able to do so since 2014, which is a huge cultural change in Scotland but unfortunately, there are many countries that don’t have such progressive views or practices.” 

Lynne continued to say: “More representation from members of the community in all walks of life will result in more diverse strategy, policy, planning and practice at local level which will in turn result in more engagement from diverse communities. This has to be proportionate to target resources at engaging and retaining diverse communities and in particular those with intersecting communities.”  

Lynne hopes that, “the next generation of young people will face no discrimination for being ‘different’ and will embrace who they are without worrying about what others think about them. Everyone would be considered as an individual with no judgement and would be seen as valued members of their community regardless of who they are, how they identify and who they love.”  

SDS uses sport as a platform to help promote a fully inclusive and diverse society, one that is accepting of everyone. Through strong leadership and effective partnerships, SDS will engage and sustain participants, support athlete progression and influence change, whilst practicing their values of inclusion, respect, integrity and ambition.  

Photo of volunteers Tori Nicol and Grace Mackenzie, smiling whilst helping at a swimming event.

The Impact of Volunteering at SDS Events

By William Moncrieff, Communications Manager 

The National Senior Learning Disability Swimming Championships took place on Saturday 18th May, with volunteers playing a vital part in the day’s smooth running. sportscotland’s communication theme for the month of June, #VolunteerInSport, has provided the perfect opportunity to highlight all the contributions of volunteers throughout the course of the championship. 

Volunteers showed up and supported in many different roles: coaches, scorers and general helpers. 

The Championships were held in Inverness and Josie Aitken was a key volunteer, Team Highland. Josie said, “I’m here with the local swim team, which I’ve been involved with for around 20 years. I’m the swim team secretary and I’m here to help everyone, making sure that both the swimmers and coaches have everything they need for the day.”  

She continued to say: “I get such a buzz from these competitions; I just love seeing all the other clubs here and just seeing everyone taking part”. 

As part of the Young Leaders program, four students from local schools attended the championships. “When you’re a leader you get involved at your school, and your leadership coordinator gets you to help out at sports days, primary school sports days and other events that are happening in the local area”, said Young Leader, Tori.  

“It’s been really good seeing the swimmers enjoy themselves, both when they win or if they lose”, said Tori. 

Tori urges anyone to try volunteering, “Just speak to someone about it and don’t be scared. Soon you get into it, it’s a great community and once you get started everyone seems to know everyone else and it’s a great place to be.” 

Another one of the young leaders, Grace, explained that, “I’ve really enjoyed watching the swimming, never having seen it in person before. You can see how much everyone is enjoying it, they’re finding it to be a fantastic experience.” 

Commenting on the impact of volunteers, Grace said: “Volunteers are really important, they’re always there to help. The events couldn’t go on without them.” 

Participants also commented on the impact and importance of volunteers.  

“I would like to thank my coaches, Eileen and Jen, along with all the helpers. They’ve done a great job”, said Maria, one of the swimmers from Dundee Discovery. 

Kai, a volunteer from Team Glasgow, explained how the day had been great for his personal development. “I haven’t worked with a group with learning disabilities before. I had only worked with children, going through some of the basics. So, for me this has been good, developing new skills and gaining confidence by coaching a new group.” 

Tracey Hunter, another volunteer from Team Glasgow, shared her thoughts on the day. “We’ve all got on really well. The swimmers have all been great and they have been smashing their personal bests.” 

When asked how important volunteers are for the club, Tracy said, “volunteers are everything. If it wasn’t for volunteers we wouldn’t have a club”.  

The number of people volunteering across the country has declined over recent years, due to several different factors. However, the experiences and skills that one can gain through volunteering are hugely impactful and beneficial.  

Tracey explained that once people start to volunteer, they love it. “They see the benefits for the kids and the adults from being in the water and competing. It gives them confidence and something to look forward to. It’s all about the community and the social environment.” 

If you would be interested in volunteering, you can explore this by reaching out to your local branch to see what opportunities are available.  

Montage photo of Sammi Kinghorn holding a bronze medal and Ben Sandilands in his Fife athletic club kit

Kinghorn and Sandilands Amongst First 10 Para Athletics Names Announced for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Two Scots are among the 10 athletes selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games announced by ParalympicsGB today, in the first wave of selection.

Following a successful World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe last month, as well as several fine displays by Para athletes in the early stages of the season, ten athletes have been confirmed for the Games.

Scotland’s Samantha Kinghorn (from Red Star AC and coached by Rodger Harkins) and Ben Sandilands (Fife AC athlete who is coached by Steve Doig) – who both have world titles to their name – join the first cohort of selected athletes.

Following the announcement, Sammi said, “I’m so excited to be competing at my third Paralympic Games in Paris. Lots of my friends and family will be coming over to watch me and I can’t wait to get going now really feeling the fire!”

It’ll be a third consecutive Paralympics for Sammi (Samantha) whilst Ben will be a first time Paralympian in Paris, competing in the 1500m T20. Sammi will be aiming to build on the success of Tokyo 2020, where she reached the podium on two occasions: silver in the 400m T53 and bronze in the 100m T53. She will compete in three events in Paris – the 100m, 400m and 800m T53.

The second and final wave of para athletics selection take place on 22 July 2024 with the full team announced soon afterwards.

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB, said: “I’m delighted to welcome such a strong group of experienced and talented Para athletes to the ParalympicsGB team for Paris 2024. All ten individuals have already shown what they are capable of at the highest level, so I am really excited to see what they can achieve at the Paralympic Games in Paris later this summer.”

Tommy Yule, Para Athletics Team Leader at the Paralympic Games, said: “Congratulations to all 10 athletes for earning their call-up to Paris 2024. They have all worked incredibly hard with their support networks to get to this point, so they should be proud of their achievement.

“With just over two months to go until the Games begin, we will be supporting and engaging with all these athletes’ in their preparations, to add the most value to ensure they are best prepared for the Games.”

A total of around 230 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the next few weeks.

At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. Paralympics GB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

 

Scots selected – 

Women

Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) – T53 100m, 400m and 800m

Men

Ben Sandilands (Steve Doig, Fife) – T20 1500m

Photo collage of the medallists on the podium from the Scottish Boccia Championships.

Newcomers and Squad Members Unite at Scottish Boccia Event

The National Scottish Boccia Closed Championships took place at The Peak in Stirling on Saturday 15th of July, with 25 athletes competing for the title of Scottish Champion.  

A development squad was also present on the day, with 12 athletes joining to make it the biggest draw to date.   

The development draw provided potential classifiable athletes the opportunity to compete and learn more about higher level competition; watching some of Scotland’s finest boccia players in action- proving to be a great experience for the development squad with plenty of learnings to takeaway. 

Within the development draw there were two categories: a mixed BC1,2 & 4 category with 5 athletes and a BC3 development draw with 3 athletes and their ramp operators. For some of the athletes, it was their first time competing at a National competition, whilst for others, it was their first ever boccia competition.  

“It has been a fantastic event with many close games,” said Jonathan Kennedy, SDS’s Boccia Development Officer.  

“What is really great to see is the amount of players in the development draw coming to this event. I spoke to one who said that this is their first ever event and quite a few of the other players have spoken to the Scottish squad athletes. 

“It’s great to see the Scottish squad players taking the time to talk and share their knowledge with the development players all in the same place,” said Jonathan.  

There were some fantastic games played throughout the entire day. Podium placers per each category are listed here:  

BC2: 

Gold – Alex Medley 
Silver – Kayleigh Haggo 
Bronze – Lewis McConnell 

BC3: 

Gold – Patric Wilson & Meredith Greenwood 
Silver – Ross MacNeil & Stewart MacNeil 

BC4: 

Gold – Stephen McGuire 
Silver – Tyler McLelland 
Bronze – Fiona Muirhead   

Development Draw:  

Gold – James O’Brien 
Silver – Murrin Widley 
Bronze – Layla McCloskey 

BC3 Development Draw: 

Gold – Zac Cameron & Kevin Davidson 
Silver – Ellie MacLaren & Lisa MacLaren 
Bronze – Caoimhe Potter & Katie MacMillan  

Many thanks to all the officials who helped the event run smoothly and for providing support to the development athletes; ensuring that they understood the rules and call room procedures. Thank you also to Barclays volunteers who helped support the officials. A final thank you goes to Motability and their sponsorship of this event.