ParalympicsGB has launched a new campaign to make disabled people Impossible to Ignore to mark one year to go to the start of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The initiative has been developed after recent research showed Paralympic athletes are key to challenging perceptions of disability in the UK.

With a year to go to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, preparations are ramping up to take the best prepared team to make the nation proud once again by recreating the incredible success of Rio 2016 where the team won 147 medals.

While many qualification events are still to take place, an estimated 250 athletes are tipped to compete for ParalympicsGB in Tokyo including competitors in the new sports of Taekwondo and Badminton.

Research from ComRes* suggests that the success of these athletes may have a direct impact on breaking down barriers, shifting perceptions and increasing opportunities for all disabled people.

· 84% of UK adults say the achievements of ParalympicsGB athletes have a positive impact on society overall

· 74% of UK adults perceive ParalympicsGB to be an inspirational sports team – more than any of the other teams listed

· 82% of disabled UK adults believe the Paralympic Games provides positive media coverage of disabled people

Nick Webborn, Chair of the British Paralympic Association, said: “This research is the strongest proof yet of the direct link between the success of our talented Paralympic athletes and its wider social benefit.”

“We believe that the success our Paralympic stars achieve on the field of play can be turned into meaningful, long-term action – turning the nation’s cheers into change and those medals into a movement.”

“With the great British public’s support, we can help to ensure disabled people are represented throughout society and, like our Paralympic heroes, become Impossible to Ignore.”

The research follows a poll carried out last year by Scope, the disability and equality charity, which revealed that nearly half of disabled people felt excluded from society.

Mark Hodgkinson, Chief Executive at Scope, said: ““We know the huge power the Paralympic Games has to shift attitudes and change perceptions towards disability.

“But life is still too tough for disabled people. There are 13.9 million disabled people in Britain and the disability employment gap has been stuck at about thirty percentage points behind for more than a decade.

“The challenge now is for charities like Scope to work with the British Paralympic Association to maintain this momentum and progress between Games so that all disabled people have everyday equality.”

The ParalympicsGB team at next year’s Games in the Japanese capital can play a pivotal role in helping to challenge those attitudes.

Helene Raynsford, Chair of the Athletes’ Commission at the BPA and a gold medallist at Beijing 2008, said: “This research highlights just how important our athletes are when it comes to changing perceptions towards disability around the UK.”

“While I am delighted to know that the efforts and exploits of British Para athletes has such a positive impact on those around us, I am also aware that there is still work to be done to improve the lives of disabled people across the country. I believe ParalympicsGB can be key to that drive for change.”

In an age where opinions can often be divided, ParalympicsGB also creates one of the highest levels of positive sentiment in conversations about sport on social media, according to analysis from Nielsen Sports.

Everyone should have the opportunity to get involved in sport and physical activity, and this is one of the principles that underpins the approach taken by sportscotland and its partners.

Collaboration is another essential principle, and the sporting connection established between the bodies responsible for student sport and disability sport in Scotland crystallises the impact that can be achieved by working together.

A cornerstone of the vibrant partnership between Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) has been the roll-out of the UK-wide Disability Inclusion Training (DIT) programme across the university and college landscape.

In the past two years, DIT has been embedded in all PE courses in Scotland, introduced to universities to enhance the trainee primary teaching curriculum and delivered to coaches in training across colleges and universities.

The full article can read on Sport First here:

https://sportfirst.sportscotland.org.uk/articles/partnership-in-action/

 

Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC continues to reap the benefits of his silver medal performance at the IPC World Marathon Championships that were held in London earlier this year as part of the Virgin Money London Marathon.

Derek was offered the opportunity to attend a training camp in Flagstaff Arizona with fellow Scots, Derek and Callum Hawkins, two of the leading mainstream marathon runners in the world.  This was Derek’s first attendance at this particular training camp but he had heard so many positive stories about it and not surprisingly he prepared well under the guidance of coach Ron Morrison.

Derek and his colleagues hit the ground running as soon as they touched base. The first run offered an insight on how the camp would unfold and what lay ahead. The location is amazing and every day the runs were challenging but the scenery spectacular.  As the days passed Derek began to feel that training at 7,000 ft was normal.  At the end of week one the hard work really started.

Derek grew in confidence and he believed his fitness was on a different level. Having previously only experienced altitude in Kenya it was very difficult to compare and contrast. Some running surfaces were similar but occasionally altitude likes to remind you who is boss and really in charge and Flagstaff was no different.

Experiencing and being in the position to soak up the sights of Route 66, Buffalo Park and the infamous Lake Mary Road added so much to the occasion and helped to make the sessions a little easier.  When he arrived back in Fife Derek was able to reflect on a hugely successful four week training camp and he loved every minute. It was a wonderful experience as a Paralympian training with two great Olympians.   Of course it filled him with enormous pride on how far he has come as a Para athlete and an ambassador for Para sport.

Derek is now in the best shape he has ever been and is looking forward to the next two months of racing ahead.  Not surprisingly he his is first to acknowledge the team that is behind him throughout the year at the sportscotland Institute of Sport plus of course Scottish Athletics and UK Athletics who continue to offer exceptional levels of support.  In addition Derek is immensely to coach and fellow athletes back at Fife AC who are behind him every day throughout the year.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

 

 

 

LEAP Sport are launching an exciting project to share the experiences of young people in football.  The project is being run as part of LEAP Sport’s Youth Activist Academy in partnership with Football Vs Homophobia Youth Panel.

The project is the Football Vs Homophobia Coaches Toolkit. This will be a digital booklet which can be accessed by football coaches to allow them to gain extra knowledge of LGBTQI+ identities in youth sport. The booklet will consist of brief explanations of key terminology, case studies of the experiences of LGBTQI+ youth footballers and links to further resources so coaches can further explore and gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

In order to make the resource as valuable as possible, we would like to speak to as many people aged under 25 who identify as LGBTQI+ who: are interested in football; are currently involved in youth football; or have previously been involved in youth football.

We are looking for all sorts of experiences. Whether they be positive examples, negative examples or examples of how football could be a safer space, we want to share the voices of young people to make sure football can make necessary steps to become inclusive for all.

For those aged 16+, they can contact us directly at the email below. For anybody under the age of 16, we will require a trusted adult to be part of the email conversation.

Contact: coachestoolkit@leapsports.org

Garry Brown is a CP7 according to Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), and a right-side hemiplegic. But it is not something that has ever even remotely slowed him down. With two stellar sporting careers under his belt, Garry is just warming up.

He was only 9-years old when he entered his first swimming competition representing Scotland at the British Junior Championship.

What began as a form of exercise on advice from his doctor as a child, led Garry to win more than 1000 medals across the course of his international swimming career.

But in the year 2000, Garry swapped the pool for the lawn and is yet again taking the international stage by storm.

In 2018, Garry represented Scotland in lawn bowls at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“It’s the highest honour a bowler – able-bodied or disabled – can get and highest level at which we can compete,” he says.

What was his journey to playing lawn bowls at an international level?

Garry says his journey to competing on the international lawn bowls stage has been hard and full of long and countless hours of practice for many competitions.

While he was social bowling right alongside his competitive swimming career, it wasn’t until he retired his bathing cap that he took bowls more seriously.

“I was spotted at a talent identification day by Scottish Disability Sport and was asked to attend a squad session with coaches,” says Garry.

Once there, he was invited to be part of the Scottish team who would go on to compete at the British Championships.

“It all just spiralled from there,” he says.

“I’ve been a member of outdoor and indoor clubs since 2000, competing in many competitions alongside able-bodied bowlers.”

He’s achieved great things, but were there challenges?

“The main challenge to overcome being an athlete with CP is in building up stamina and muscle memory,” says Garry.

“I needed to train my body to do the same thing again and again.

“But I haven’t really had any challenges,” he says modestly.

“My club mates have been first class and are always there to help.”

How important are competitive sports for the CP community?

“It’s extremely important,” Garry says.

“Every athlete has got to have a goal and something to work towards and competitive to work towards.

“Competitive sport gives everyone that. It’s a great way to get notice, accepted and show that we are no different,” he says.

What about young people living with CP who are thinking about competitive sport?

Garry’s advice: Do it!

“There are so many sports and there’s one for everyone,” he says.

“It’s a great way to meet people and also to get exercise.”

His parting words,” Smash barriers and reach new highs while maybe winning awards and medals.”