Scottish Borders Disability Sport Group (SBDSG) are hosting their 3rd Borders Boccia Open Competition on Saturday 30^th September and is open for players of all ages with a physical or learning disability across the country. For most players this will be the last opportunity to sharpen up their skills in a competitive environment prior to the Scottish Boccia Open.  The competition will be delivered in partnership with LIVE BORDERS (LB) and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS).

The details of the competition are below –

Event: Borders Boccia Open Competition 2017

Venue: Queens Leisure Centre, Galashiels TD1 2AE

Date: Saturday 30^th September 2017

Time: 10am – 4.00pm (approx.)

Entry: £5

The Entry Form is attached.

As with other Scottish Disability Sport Boccia events, we rely on dedicated volunteers to officiate matches to ensure the success of the competition. Also attached is Match Referee Volunteer Request for anyone who is able to support this event.

If you require further information, please contact Alan Oliver on the details below.

All forms should be returned to Alan Oliver, LIVE BORDERS Sports Development, St Mary’s Mill, Level Crossing Road, Selkirk, TD7 2DU, aoliver@liveborders.org.uk – 07887 471 137 or 01750 700 110.

 

Name: Freya Howgate

Branch: Perth & Kinross Disability Sport

Sport: Athletics

Club: Perth Strathtay Harriers

How did you get involved in your sport? Watching my big brother

How long have you been playing your sport for? About 5 years

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): I Iove to compete

What’s the best thing about your sport? Its fun

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Trainers and sportswear

Greatest sporting achievement: I received the disability endeavor award in 2012

Favourite Para-athlete: Richard Whitehead

Favourite athlete to compete against: I don’t have one

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

Name: Gemma Lumsdaine

Branch: Angus Disability Sport

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby

Club: Dundee Dragons and Caledonian Crushers

How did you get involved in your sport?

I had started playing wheelchair rugby league at my local club (Dundee Dragons) and through this was contacted by Tina Gordon, basketballscotland’s Wheelchair Basketball Development Officer, who was looking for another player to compete in the School Games (2013).  Having never played the sport before I felt very nervous but found I had transferable skills, so four weeks after starting playing the sport I competed for the Scotland U19 squad. From there on I was hooked!

Because of my level of functioning Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club suggested I should try wheelchair rugby as the sport is designed for people who have impairment in three or four of their limbs. Through the generosity of the Wooden Spoon charity some rugby chairs were purchased for the club. From this I then moved on to playing competitively and now as hoping to play at a high level in this sport.

How long have you been playing your sport for? Wheelchair basketball: 4 years; wheelchair rugby: 2 years

Biggest strength (as an athlete): Probably my determination and passion.

What’s the best thing about your sport?
In both sports I love the tactical side of the game and the team elements but I also love how fast and fierce both games can be.

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Both sports require the use of a specialist sports wheelchair.

Greatest sporting achievement: With basketball it was probably our gold at the Celtic Cup in 2016. With rugby it was being voted GBWR Best In Class in 2016 or speaking at the House of Lords as part of Wooden Spoons’ “Supporting Tomorrows Superstars” campaign.

Favourite para-athlete:  Jo Butterfield MBE

Favourite athlete to compete against: It’s too hard to choose there are so many awesome athletes out there.

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Give it a go, you never know where it may take you!

Name:  Jack Milne

Branch: Dundee City Disability Sport

Sport: Swimming

Club: Dundee City Aquatics

How did you get involved in your sport? I just loved swimming and how it made me feel and just wanted more time in the water.

How long have you been playing your sport for? Started lessons at 3. Joined a club at 12

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): Butterfly and I am very committed and determined.

What’s the best thing about your sport? Meeting professional athletes and it clears my mind.

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Good trunks and goggles, Fins, kickboard, paddles, snorkel and paddles

Greatest sporting achievement: Competing in the International para-swimming Competition in April this year.

Favourite Para-athlete: Scott Quin

Favourite athlete to compete against: Conner Morrison

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Give it a go! Aim for three things during a race – breath every 3, under water work and quick fast turns. And enjoy it!!

 

West of Scotland athlete Rory McKinna is a well-known swimmer within disability sport. However, it is the sport of sailing wherehe has been excelling in recent months.

The Clyde Cruising Club member recently won the Hansa UK National Championships in the 303 Single Person class. The competition was held at Spinnaker Sailing Club in the New Forrest.  It ran over three days and Rory won all eight of the races that he entered.

 

To top of an excellent series, Rory also won the Endeavour Trophy for the 2nd year running.

Name: Reagan Doig

Branch: Perth & Kinross Disability Sport

Sport: Swimming

Club: Stirling

How did you get involved in your sport? Encouragement from a master swimmer who was a life guard at my swimming lessons

How long have you been playing your sport for? 14 years

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): Fly 100m

What’s the best thing about your sport? Good support / encouragement from top athletes

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Kit bag and good swimwear

Greatest sporting achievement: Scottish record holder & British record

Favourite Para-athlete: Ellie Simmonds

Favourite athlete to compete against: S15 Danielle Joyce

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Go down to your local swimming pool and have a trial, its hard work and early mornings but keeps you fit and healthy

Name: Murran Mackay

Branch: Angus Disability Sport

Sport: Wheelchair Racing

Club: Red Star Athletics Club

How did you get involved in your sport? Watched on Paralympics and decided that was the sport that I wanted to be involved in

How long have you been playing your sport for? 3 years

Biggest strength (as an athlete): Determination and focus

What’s the best thing about your sport? It’s an individual sport and the main thing is to have fun and try to get PBs [Personal Bests]

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? Custom racing chair, specialist gloves, helmet, pump, training rollers & spare tyres

Greatest sporting achievement: Coming 3^rd in under 14s wheelchair race for girls at London mini marathon

Favourite para-athlete: Sammi Kinghorn

Favourite athlete to compete against: Sammi Kinghorn

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Find a suitable chair that fits you well, contact a good coach and just try it

 

Nairn Cricket Club are bringing table top cricket to Highland Schools as well as reaching out to all areas of the community this summer. And their cricket provision for disabled local people has grown thanks to a lot of hard work by volunteers. The club launched table cricket at The Manor, a care home for disabled people in Nairn. Club chair Kim Neill said: “This went down very well as they have many folk with different needs in the home.”

On the day of the launch Nairn’s Provost Laurie Fraser and Fiona Green, Disability Sport Officer from High Life Highland attended and they were very impressed how the game could involve people with quite severe disabilities.

Provost Fraser commented: “It was a great afternoon with lots of competitive individuals seeing how many runs they could score.”

Since then the club have through Fiona Green been coaching in Drummond School in Inverness and St Clement’s in Dingwall which cater for young disabled people. Pupils at the Drummond School have also had Kwik Cricket.

St Clement’s have two table cricket teams, one girls and one boys. “The teams at St Clement’s are really competitive as table cricket is very strategic. They have just started softball and I’m sure there will be some good players there as well,” Neill added.

The table cricket program was been initiated by the ECB and supported by the Lord’s Taverners. Cricket Scotland have now also become heavily involved.

The game is played on a table tennis table with sides and sliders as fielders and the ball is bowled off a ramp. The batsman must play a controlled shot, rather than smashing the ball. Runs are scored when the ball hits the spaces not protected by the moving sliders.

Picture: Provost Laurie Fraser and Fiona Green observing a game in The Manor Care Home

For the last 14 years Josie Aitken has been a tremendous influence within the disability sporting sector with her drive and enthusiasm.

She was one of the founding members of the Disability Inverness Sports Club (DISC) an affiliated group of Highland Disability Sport which she still runs weekly today with a small band of volunteers. She was Chairperson of the Scottish Down Syndrome Society (Highland) prior to that and found that sport was better for her daughter Laura who has Down Syndrome to be involved in.

Since 2003 Josie has also helped establish the Highland Disability Swim Team where Laura regularly trains. Both are now embarking on their 4th Special Olympics which take place every 4 years and will be held this year in Sheffield.

Thanks to Josie’s fundraising skills and endeavours, the swim group are able to cover the costs of travel and accommodation of all their swimmers and coaches. Josie also organises a Christmas Disco for all the disability groups with people travelling from as far away as Caithness to attend, such is the popularity of it.

She regularly organises nights out to Rollerbowl for the swimmers which is a great team builder for the group and recently organised a Fashion Show fundraiser for the swimmers.

 

These are just a few of the things that Josie involves herself in and we believe that there are a lot more but she is too modest to tell. Congratulations Josie.

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) got together with Dunfermline Tennis Club to organise a two hour tennis Festival at the club facilities on Monday 12th June. The Festival brought to an end the second year of the very popular DSF Tennis Academy initiative supported by Alan Russell Head Coach of Dunfermline Tennis Club and Gary Whitton from Kirkcaldy Lawn Tennis Club. Tennis Scotland assisted DSF with the setting up of the 2016 Academy programme.

Balwearie HS and Woodmill HS pupils with additional support needs received six sessions of coaching on school premises leading up to the Festival. School support staff and volunteers were active throughout the Festival. Coaches Alan, Gary and Alex chopped and changed the activities throughout the morning and involved the enthusiastic teenagers in non stop physical activity.

The Festival was part of the Get Out Get Active (GOGA in Fife) initiative that plans to encourage inactive people to be active and others to be more active more often. The third tier of the DSF/DunfermlineTC summer tennis initiative is to encourage as many of the 24 new teenage tennis converts to sign up for Dunfermline TC and Kirkcaldy TC inclusive summer tennis programmes.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife