Don McFarlane was awarded the Disability Coach of the Year Award at the recent ClubSport Edinburgh Sports Awards, recognising many years of dedication to disability swimming across Edinburgh and the East of Scotland.

The ClubSport Edinburgh Sport Awards recognise teams and individuals who have performed extraordinarily or those passionate people who dedicate their lives helping others.  The ceremony, managed by ClubSport Edinburgh with support from a range of partners, took place at the City Chambers on Friday 1^st December.

Don McFarlane has been developing and inspiring swimmers with a disability for well over 20 years, initially in Midlothian and latterly in Edinburgh with discrete swim club Lothian Racers.  Don has coached locally, regionally and nationally, helping a great number of para swimmers reach their potential in the sport, ensuring the individuals have all the relevant tools to achieve their individual goals – some previous swimmers include Paralympic medal winners Jim Anderson OBE, James Clegg and Scott Quin.

Earlier in 2017, Don decided to step down as head coach for Lothian Racers and this award recognises the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication over the years and is thoroughly well deserved.  Don remains heavily involved with the East of Scotland Regional Squad, continuing to work closely with up and coming swimmers hoping to achieve similar success to swimmers that have went before.  Don also received recognition at this year’s Lothian Disability Sport Awards, reinforcing the high esteem which he is held across the region.

 

Nominations are now open for the Forth Valley Disability Sport Awards, which will recognise the commitment, achievement and contribution that our athletes, coaches, volunteers and clubs have made to our community in Forth Valley in 2017.

The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Monday, 19th February 2018 at The Stirling Albert Hall, Albert Place, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2QL where shortlisted nominees and two guests will be invited to attend.

In order to nominate someone for a Forth Valley Disability Award they must meet the following criteria:

• Any individual nominated must be resident in Forth Valley (Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk) or a member of a club affiliated to Forth Valley Disability Sport.
• Nominated Clubs must be affiliated to Forth Valley Disability Sport.
• The sporting year is defined as the year prior to the closing date for nominations

Please return completed nomination forms with a digital picture of the nominee by the closing date of Friday 19 January 2018.

FVDS Awards 2017 Form

FVDS Awards 2017 Form

Tina Gordon has been selected as Coach of the Year at the recent Scottish Woman in Sport (SWiS) Awards, recognising the incredible impact the former Lothian Phoenix coach has had on the sport of wheelchair basketball. Current Lothian Phoenix Head Coach Niall Ritchie highlighted this, stating that: “Tina’s coaching has had a lasting impact on many athletes, coaches and officials across the country. Phoenix was one of those clubs fortunate enough to benefit from her guidance and time.”

Tina has supported many players to progress through the pathway from identification to club engagement and ultimately on to National representation – with current Paralympian Robyn Love one of the most high profile players who has benefited from Tina’s expertise and passion for coaching. However, the work that Tina undertakes at grassroots level is imperative to the ongoing growth of the sport and an area of work that is high on her agenda – relentlessly supporting Scottish Disability Sport programmes such as the annual Para Sport Festivals and further SDS engagement days.

Tina, currently wheelchair basketball development officer at Basketball Scotland, has been acknowledged for years of driving the development of the sport, while enthusiastically empowering players and coaches to reach their potential and achieve all they can in wheelchair basketball. Tina demonstrated her passion for the continued development, stating that “it may be an individual award but I feel strongly that it reflects the growth of wheelchair basketball that the sport and those within the sport are being recognised at the top level.”

Tina’s most recent achievement saw her guide the Scotland under 19s to a third place finish and bronze medal at this year’s School Games – the first ever celtic nation to achieve this! This was particularly pleasing for the Bathgate-based coach as it highlights the successful development work that is being driven in the sport of wheelchair basketball north of the border. The coaching team at the School Games was an all-female cast with Tina leading the way and ably supported by assistants Gemma Lumsdaine and Jen Scally – underlining the significant impact Tina has had on her peers in coaching.

A truly deserved winner of the SWiS Coach of the Year Award – well done Tina!

Two East of Scotland swimmers received well-earned rewards recently, recognising their individual achievements over the last 12 months.

Beth Johnston received the Junior Sports Personality of the Year Award at the ClubSport Ettrick and Lauderdale Awards last week to cap a fantastic 12 months which has seen performances across the world, including securing medals at the World Para Series in Indianapolis.  This recent award also compliments the Sports Personality of the Year accolade which the BEST swimmer received from her peers at Galashiels Academy earlier on this year.  The S10 swimmer has enjoyed her best season to date and this has been acknowledged by her fellow swimmers, coaches, and school mates.

Edinburgh based swimmer Neil Ferguson was also recognised for his incredible achievements over the last 2 years – presented with a ‘Stroke Association Life After Stroke Award’ by Paralympian Scott Quin and TV presenter Amanda Lamb at a glittering award ceremony in London on 1^st November.  Lothian Racers and Musselburgh ASC swimmer Ferguson is relatively new to Para Sport after having a stroke just prior to Christmas in 2013, resulting in injuries to the right side of his body and also severely affecting his speech.  The 15 year old has worked tirelessly to regain strength and mobility in the muscles that were weakened, while also finding the energy and enthusiasm to become involved with Para Sport during this period.  Neil is now once again excelling in the swimming pool – recently being invited onto the Scottish Swimming Para Squad for 2017 / 2018 after receiving his classification this summer.  The George Watson’s pupil motivation and drive to achieve all he can is absolutely evident to anyone who has worked with him or seen him train or compete, with his coaches often claiming, ‘it’s difficult to get him out of the water’.  Neil – who was also the joint recipient of the Lothian Disability Sport Young Sports Person of the Year in the summer – has also engaged with events facilitated by Scottish Disability Sport, including the Summer Camp and is still an active member of the Forth Canoe Club after attending the Wheels to Water Event in 2015.  A genuinely inspirational story and congratulations to Neil on receiving the Children and Young People’s Courage Award, a UK award which received over 400 nominations.

Watch Neil’s story on the link below –

https://www.stroke.org.uk/what-we-do/life-after-stroke-awards/children-and-young-people’s-courage-award-neil-ferguson

The Midlothian Sports Awards were held on Friday 27th October at Lasswade Community High School, with athletes and coaches involved within disability sport recognised for their significant achievements over the previous 12 months.

Visually Impaired Alpine Skiier, Michael Kear picked up the Senior Sports Personality Award after a very impressive series of results earlier this year. The former Royal Blind School pupil recorded some notable performances, including 2nd place finish in a leg of the Europa Cup in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. The Loanhead sportsman also recorded a 1st place finish in January this year at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing Slalom Race, pipping athletes from Switzerland and China to claim gold in Rinn, Austria. Kear has achieved a remarkable amount over the two years since becoming involved with the sport and has been part of the British Parasnowsport Development team since 2015/2016 and has recently been selected onto the British Parasnowsport Foundation Squad for 2017/2018 – ultimately aiming for the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

Further recognition surrounded the significant success achieved at this summer’s Special Olympics National Games with the Lothian Special Olympics team receiving the Senior Team of the Year Award and Lynne Sturgeon awarded with the Coach of the Year accolade.

Lynne Sturgeon led a successful Lothian team of over 100 athletes, coaches & volunteers as Head of Delegation (HOD) at the National event in Sheffield. This role involved managing a large team of individuals, working closely with a range of personalities and ensuring an environment was created for an enjoyable experience for all involved – all of this and more was achieved, meaning a hugely successful week in Sheffield. In addition to the significant undertaking as HOD, Lynne also leads the development of Beeslack All Stars – a multi-sport club for youngsters with a disability – acting as a coach and coach mentor on a weekly basis. This relationship has helped develop a number of coaches and benefited the local authority, providing the experience and confidence for individuals to go out and coach in the community.

The Lothian Special Olympics team received the Senior Team of the Year award after a hugely successful performance in August. The Summer Games, held every 4 years, invites athletes with intellectual disabilities of all sporting abilities to participate and compete in a wide range of sports including athletics, swimming, football and judo. In total, there were 69 athletes and 31 coaches & volunteers who represented Lothian across 10 of the 20 sports offered during this year’s games, with a third of the overall number coming from Midlothian. Athletes participated superbly throughout whilst claiming 25 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals and a host of 4th- 8th place ribbons. Head of Delegation and recently crowned Midlothian Coach of the Year, Lynne Sturgeon added “It was amazing, the attitude and respect the Lothian athletes showed throughput the games. The weekly dedication of the voluntary coaches and admin volunteers who create the training opportunities in the Lothians was repaid superbly by the athletes. Without these volunteers the athletes would not have these opportunities to excel on and off the sports field.”

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) is delighted to report that inspirational athlete Susanne McGrath from Glenrothes has just completed her second wheelchair marathon of the year and for the first time in Dublin. To add to the celebrations Susanne completed the course in a personal best time of 3.35.

Along the way Susanne was cheered on by her Aunt Marie and her two friends. The “influential” banner they carried was the creation of family friend Geraldine Walsh from Dublin who ensured that all the arrangements for Susanne went smoothly on the day.

Susanne came to wheelchair racing late in her athletics career but has made amazing progress within a short period. Her father Eddie is never far away when she is training or competing and his support has been critical as her “enabler” and “fixer”. Eddie also completed the Dublin Marathon and has been encouraged and inspired by Susanne to follow her lead into distance running training and the occasional big event.

Susanne is a member of the DSF wheelchair racing squad that is coached by DSF lead athletics coach Pamela Robson. Recently the group was inspired by a visit to Fife from world champion Sammi Kinghorn and her coach Ian Mirfin MBE from Scottish Athletics.

Up until earlier this year Susanne trained in a racing wheelchair provided by Disability Sport Fife but that chair has now been returned to stock awaiting the next newcomer to the sport. Due to her own fundraising efforts, those of local fundraiser Neil Smart and a bursary from the Russell Hogg Trust, Susanne took possession earlier this year of her own bespoke Bromakin chair and she has not looked back since. Improvements in technique, higher levels of fitness and of course the new racing wheelchair have resulted in a finish to the season that she could only have dreamed of a couple of years ago. Well done Susanne an inspirational Fife athlete.

 

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Curling for All at the Peak

Stirling Sports Village, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ

For adults and youn gpeople witha range of disabilities. The cost is £3 for participants, one parent/carer/supporter friend joins in for free. Places are limited, booking is essential.

Wednesday 22nd November 2017, 3-4pm, 4-5pm

Wednesday 29th November 2017, 3-4pm, 4-5pm

Wednesday 6th December 2017, 3-4pm, 4-5pm

Open to people with physical, learning and sensory impairments, and autistic spectrum disorders. Traditional, stick or wheelchair curling available.

For more information and to book a place contact Helen Kallow, RCCC Disability Curling Development Officer, 0131 333 3003, helen@royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org.

Have you the desire to learn how to skate, gliding over the Ice like Torvill and Dean? Well, now you can!

Intu Braehead Ice Rink is introducing a new open Inclusive Skating session every Saturday morning from 10am to 11am.

It will cost £8.50 for an inclusive skater and carer, and skate hire is included in the price.

If you are interested in this exciting new venture, head along to Braehead Ice Rink this weekend, or contact Margarita Sweeney-Baird on margarita.msb@gmail.com for more information on inclusive Skating.

Conner Morrison and Toni Shaw beat off strong competition to take home the Disability Sports Achiever of the Year & Junior Disability Sports Achiever of the Year awards respectively at this year’s Aberdeen Sports Awards held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

The swimmers, who train and compete with the University of Aberdeen Performance Swimming Team, are working their way up the British Swimming World Class programme and have aspirations of making Team GB for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as well as joining Team Scotland in next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.

Both Toni and Conner have worked exceptionally hard over the past few years and it certainly paid off when both athletes were selected for the GB Squad for this year’s World Para-Swimming Championships in Mexico.

Toni was shortlisted alongside Jack Caird, a wheelchair basketball player who was recently selected for the Scottish U15 Team, and Conner was shortlisted with Kerry Mathers, a RaceRunning athlete who recently took home bronze in the 100m RR3 final in the CPISRA RaceRunning World Championships held in Denmark.

Congratulations to all of our athletes who were nominated, shortlisted and award winners, and thank you to the Active Aberdeen Partnership who hosted the event.

Name: Steven Key

Branch: Perth & Kinross Disability Sport

Sport:   Bowls

Club:   Inchture Bowling Club

How did you get involved in your sport? Initially through a fun charity day. But since disability through SDS and Inchture who have helped me so much.

How long have you been playing your sport for? About 9 years able bodied then 1 year in a wheelchair.

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): Commitment, determination and the love of the game.

What’s the best thing about your sport? Anyone can take part. Also it’s a team sport and the competitive spirit of individual games

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? 4 Bowls. Oh and in my case a wheelchair   

Greatest sporting achievement: Winning the 2017 Lawn Bowls National Championships in Aberdeen.

Favourite Para-athlete:  Tough question, but I suppose Billy Allan for his commitment to the sport.

Favourite athlete to compete against:  Anyone really.

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Try it and you will love it. It’s not an old persons’ game as the myths say.