Everyone at SDS is saddened and devastated to hear of the sudden death of Janice Eaglesham MBE. Janice was an amazing and inspirational person who did so much for so many. She was compassionate and caring person who supported athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff in her various roles as SDS chair, coach and tutor and our thoughts are with Ian her husband. Janice was motivational , enthusiastic, self effacing and funny. It is so difficult to put into words all her positive qualities and talents.
Janice has been Chair of Scottish Disability Sport since 2014, leading the Association through the development and roll-out of the current Strategic Plan. Janice was also involved in all aspects of SDS life and was an active tutor delivering education and training courses across Scotland. Her leadership of the SDS Board was exemplary and her experience, knowledge, friendship and expertise will be greatly missed by all.
Janice was also one of Scotland’s most respected coaches of athletes with a disability who gave up a huge amount of her free time to help take her athletes from grassroots involvement all the way to Paralympic participation.
Janice became involved in disability sport in 1983. Her involvement with Scottish Disability Sport commenced in 1985 and she was part of the organising committee for the Association’s Silver Jubilee celebration events in 1987.
At a local level, Janice was one of the founder members of the Red Star Athletics Club, along with her husband Ian Mirfin, where she coached twice a week. Red Star is recognised as the leading athletics club in the UK for athletes with a disability. Originally based in Glasgow, Red Star Athletics Club offers track athletics for people with disabilities of all levels, from beginners right through to competitive athletes. Red Star has also produced a large number of athletes who have progressed to compete at all international and Paralympic level. High performance athletes such as Karen Lewis, Ritchie Collins and Allan Stuart have emerged from the club in recent years. The club has also received many honours over the years, including Glasgow Club of the Year, and Janice and Ian jointly won Scotland’s Unsung Heroes.
At a national level, Janice acted as Athletics Co-ordinator for Scottish Disability Sport and was a Scottish Athletics national coach for athletes with a disability on the Bank of Scotland National Squad. She was also involved in the organisation of the Scottish Disability Sport National Athletics Championships for athletes with a learning disability . She was responsible for opening up access to coaching and competition to hundreds of disabled athletes over the years and she was a major force in the development of athletics.
Janice was also active at an international level, acting as team manager and head coach to numerous Scottish squads competing on the world and European stage. She was also heavily involved in the sport of racerunning, coaching many of the leading Scottish athletes. She also represented Scottish Disability Sport on the UK Sports Association for People with a Learning Disability, where more recently she held the position of Vice Chair, and was active on working groups with both Scottish and UK Athletics.
In 2016 Janice and Ian were both awarded MBEs in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours in recognition of their services to disability sport.
Janice was one of the most influential individuals involved in disability sport in Scotland. Her knowledge, expertise and kindness touched so many people and her influence will be missed.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday 31st July at 11.00am at South Lanarkshire Crematorium, G72 0TL. A reception will be held afterwards at the Parkville Hotel in Blantyre.
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