Category: Paris 2024

24/10/2024

Fin Graham: On His Quest for Gold in Paris

By Lauren Cameron

For Fin Graham, 2024 will surely be a year to remember, following an outstanding performance in the Men’s C1-3 road race at the Paris Paralympics, earning him his first Paralympic gold medal.

A rising star in Para sport, Fin’s tremendous performance in both road and track cycling events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games captivated audiences around the world.

On September 7th, the Scot delivered a remarkable ride that saw him upgrade his Tokyo silver to gold, topping the men’s C1-3 road race podium and bringing Great Britain’s cycling medal tally to 22 on the final day of competition in Paris.

In the nail-biting final, the 24-year-old outsprinted host-nation favourites Thomas Peyroton-Dartet and Alexandre Leaute (FRA) for a maiden Paralympic title, crossing the finish line with an impressive time of 1:43:19. Despite being outnumbered, his well-timed sprint in the final kilometer of the 71km route secured his place at the top of the podium.

Having already secured two world titles and earned a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, this year’s gold win marks a pivotal moment in the athlete’s career, adding to his already impressive résumé.

Describing the win, the Highland athlete said: “It is the pinnacle of our sport… Paralympic gold, nothing compares to it. That’s what we work towards every four years, to be able to come away with that is amazing.”

The Scottish-born C3 athlete says he has always known what he wanted to do and has dreamed of becoming a professional cyclist since his school years.

“I think I’ve always had that drive. When I know what I want to do I’m able to kind of set my mind to it.”

“To have it all pay off, it’s something else.”

Born with bilateral clubfoot, he has never let his condition limit his success. His passion for Para cycling has been a driving force throughout his journey to success as a Paralympian. Through remarkable strength and unfaltering determination, he has built an impressive career and become a role model for aspiring Para athletes. Fin’s success at this years Games in Paris is a testament to his exceptional skill, dedication and resilience.

Returning to his home in Strathpeffer, the Highland athlete has brought with him two medals; a silver for the 3000m individual pursuit and gold for the men’s road race.

Reflecting on this year’s sporting success in Paris, he said: “Any medal at a Paralympics is an amazing achievement but you’re constantly driving for that gold medal, so to come away in the last event with the gold medal, it means so much.”

“It’s so special to cross a line with your hands in the air and celebrate with the team afterwards.”

Earlier in the Games, the Scot also took home a silver after facing off against ParalympicsGB teammate, Jaco van Gass, in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit, finishing four seconds off the golden time.

Despite successfuly breaking the world record for the individual pursuit earlier in the heats with a time of 3:17:14, defending champion Van Gass regained his world record just mintues later in the following heat.

While th Paris 2024 Paralympics has come to a close, it seems that Fin Graham’s gold medal victory is only the beginning of an already impressive career. With his sights set on future competitions, he shows no signs of slowing down.

The Scottish athlete leaves Paris as a true champion, embodying the spirit of the Paralympics and empowering athletes and fans around the world.

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

21/10/2024

Golden Games: Nathan Macqueen’s Paralympic Journey

By Veronica Buccino

The Lothian star left his third Paralympics Games with a gold medal alongside teammate Jodie Grinham, and now ready to train for upcoming World Championship.

Nathan Macqueen, 33-year-old Scot, returned to his home in Dumfries, following his triumphant performance in his third Paralympic Games.

“Paris was definitely different compared to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020,” said Nathan.

“Rio was my first Games [after] I joined the squad in late 2015, so I had less than a year to make the team and Tokyo was a Covid Games. But this time I could actually have a proper experience”.

Eight years of arduous teamwork later, he and his teammate Jodie Grinham took home a team gold medal on day 5.

“I’ve known Jodie since I got into the squad in 2015 and it was nice to share the experience with her. Timing wise, competing individually is probably easier, because you get 30 seconds an arrow when alone, but in a team, you get 20. However, being in a team relieves a lot of pressure, when there’s someone else in line with you”.

When asked how it felt to win, he added: “There were some politics that happened in Rio that took me out of the team and they went on and got a silver medal. It was a bit of a sore point that I could’ve get a medal in my first Games but didn’t. It was rather thrilling to be able to obtain one in Paris and do significantly better with the gold”.

Due to the pandemic and the one-year postponement of the Tokyo Paralympics, Nathan only had three years in between Games. He reflected on the training requirements: “The training is hard. There’s a lot of time away from my family, which I think is the hardest bit but it is also trying to get a good balance and I usually manage to do it”.

In addition to the gym workouts, the training sessions can extend from 8am until 6pm, with an average of 200 arrows shot. Being an outdoor sport, inside training with artificial light during winter months can be mentally challenging. Consistency can help a lot: “This is what we do, we have to repeat the same thing over and over again, and it makes it sound really easy, but it’s not”, Nathan added, characterising the sport as ‘the art of repetition’.

For the athlete, it felt extremely important to have his family there in Paris to support him.

“I wanted my family to be there for me, but when that happened, I was also a bit nervous. I didn’t look in their direction when I was shooting, and I didn’t wave at them until after. Now that I’ve got a month off, I want to spend time with them. Then it is back to work. I’ve got the World Championships next year (2025) in September, so I have to get ready for that”.

Scottish Disability Sport Week (SDSW) is something to earmark for this year. The one week long campaign (25^th November – 1^st December) is a nationwide celebration throughout Scotland. The week engages numerous partners across the country and encourages people to get active. Each day focuses on a different theme: the benefits of getting active, overcoming barriers, intersectionality, clubs and communities and how to get involved.

In light od SDSW, Nathan explained how he benefitted from getting active and participating in sport following his accident.

“I just had more motivation to do things. After my accident, I did not want to do a lot with myself but I found that with sport, I had to do something, and without the discipline, I would not be the person I am today”.

The Scot went on to explain the intersectionality of archery:

“It is one of the very few sports where, apart from during the Paralympics and World Championships, you compete against everybody and there aren’t distinctions of Para categories. This is extremely important because when I was younger it was a bit difficult for me to be disabled, and this inclusivity made me feel part of the sport even more, rather than being in my own little category by myself. This is why I really like archery, and I have never faced any societal barriers”.

Nathan wanted to emphasise the importance of getting into sport, in a way that it doesn’t only make you healthier and fitter, but it helps you set goals which is a good mental release.

***

Please note that entries are now open for the SDS National Indoor Archery Championships, supported by The Motability Scheme.

The Championships will take place on Sunday 1st of December 2024 at Bertha Park High School.

Please find the link to register and for full details of the event, here.

The registration deadline is Thursday 21st November 2024.

***

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

18/10/2024

More Medals and Memories in Paris for Winning Students 100 Scholars and Alumni

By Winning Students 100 Communications Consultant, Brian Welsh

Medals were won and memories were made at Paris 2024 Paralympics by the seven ParalympicsGB athletes who have been supported by Winning Students 100*.

The overall performance of ParalympicsGB earned richly deserved headlines: the team finished second overall with 124 medals to meet the target of 100-140, there was medal success in all but one sport, while eight more golds were won in Paris than Tokyo three years ago with 49 golds the second-highest total achieved since Seoul 1988.

The golds won in Paris included an incredible six by Winning Students 100 scholars and alumni, but achievements were not restricted to podium finishes, with personal bests and debut performances generating memories galore.

Following last month’s review of the Paris Olympics 2024, let’s take a look at the heights reached by the class of Paris Paralympics 2024.

In the pool

Twelve ParalympicsGB athletes won multiple golds and Stephen Clegg was among them, his first arriving on day three after he won the S12 100m backstroke event with a new world record of 59.02. With this win, Clegg, who has a visual impairment, won his first Paralympic gold after securing a silver and two bronze medals at Tokyo 2021.

Even more was to follow when Clegg edged the men’s S12 100m butterfly final on the final day of competition in the pool. Clegg, who is world record holder in the event, touched home in 57.49 seconds at the end of a fiercely contested race.

Clegg was edged into fourth place in both the S12 100m freestyle final (missing out on bronze by 0.02secs) and the 4x100m freestyle final relay.

Faye Rogers shone just as brightly with a stunning Paralympics debut, taking gold in the women’s S10 100m butterfly after overhauling team-mate Callie-Ann Warrington, the eventual silver medallist, in the final 50m.

Rogers’ heroics didn’t start and end there – she also recorded a personal best in the women’s S10 100m freestyle as well as fifth placed finishes in both the SM10 200m Individual Medley final and S10 400m freestyle final.

Toni Shaw, who trains with Rogers in Aberdeen, made her second Paralympics appearance and was under a quarter of a second off bronze in the SM9 200m Individual Medley thanks to a season’s best of 2:37.88 in a thrilling final.

Others highlights for Shaw included making it to the S9 400m freestyle final where she finished fifth in another very competitive race, as well as finishing eighth in the S9 100m freestyle final.

On the court

There was triumph on the tennis court for men’s wheelchair doubles powerhouse Gordon Reid and his partner Alfie Hewett as they secured their first Paralympics gold medal together to complete a career “grand slam”.

After the agony of losing finals in both Rio and Tokyo, Reid and Hewett defeated Japan’s Tokito Oda and Takuya Miki 6-2 6-1 in the decider at Roland Garros cementing their status as the dominant force in men’s wheelchair doubles.

Reid also surged to the quarter-finals of the men’s wheelchair singles before losing out to Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina in straight sets, the second a narrow tiebreak.

Another Paralympics debut was enjoyed by Kayleigh Haggo in boccia, who finished a very credible eighth in the Women’s Individual BC2 competition.

Haggo, who switched from frame-running to boccia to secure her place in Paris, defeated European Championship silver medallist Ana Correia of Portugal 6-2 to earn a place in the quarter-finals where she lost out to Gischa Zayana of Poland who would go on to earn a bronze medal. Another of Kayleigh’s earlier opponents, South Korea’s Jeong Soyeong, won silver.

On the water

Para canoe brought further ParalympicsGB success including two stunning gold medals for Charlotte Henshaw and silver for Hope Gordon.

Henshaw won the inaugural Women’s VL3 event ahead of team-mate Hope Gordon, who claimed a brilliant silver on what was her Paralympics summer games debut, having only taken up paracanoe five years ago.

Henshaw then secured her second gold of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as she successfully defended her KL2 title in an epic contest, setting a Paralympic record in the process. Henshaw’s Paralympic appearance in Paris marks the fifth Games of her career, having competed at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 in Para swimming, before making the switch to paracanoe.

Congratulations!

Congratulations from everyone at Winning Students 100, sportscotland, Scottish Funding Council and all supporting universities and colleges to every scholar and alumni who competed so brilliantly at Paris Paralympics 2024.

*Two athletes, Faye Rogers and Toni Shaw, have been supported by Winning Students 100 while the other five athletes named in this article were supported by Winning Students, the previous rendition of the organisation.

Winning Students 100 scholars and alumni at Paris Paralympics 2024:

Paris Paralympics 2024
Name	Sport	Institution	Scholar / Alumni
Stephen Clegg	Para Swimming	University of Edinburgh	Alumni
Hope Gordon	Canoe	Edinburgh Napier University	Alumni
Kayleigh Haggo	Boccia	Ayrshire College	Alumni
Charlotte Henshaw	Canoe	University of Stirling	Alumni
Gordon Reid	Wheelchair Tennis	University of Stirling	Alumni
Faye Rogers	Para Swimming	University of Aberdeen	Scholar
Toni Shaw	Para Swimming	University of Aberdeen	Scholar

18/10/2024

Martin Perry Eyes Up LA 2028 After Paris Paralympics

“I definitely enjoyed my experience and I can’t wait to relive it in four years’ time in LA.” – Martin Perry reflects on his debut Paralympics performance.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice

Martin Perry was part of the ParalympicsGB squad for the 2024 edition of the Summer Games in Paris. Martin qualified for the table tennis squad where he competed in both singles and doubles, partnering up with Will Bayley.

“From start to finish, Paris was just an unbelievable experience, I couldn’t believe how well catered everything was”, said Martin.

The Paralympics kicked off for Martin with the doubles round of 16. “My doubles partner Will Bayley and I had a great win against Germany winning 3-0”, explained Martin.

Next up was the quarter finals where Martin and Will found themselves up against the French, who went into the match as second seed. “We found ourselves 2-0 down. We had an incredible rally where I jumped off the court. That was the catalyst that got us back into the match… we managed to get it back to 2-2.”

He continued to recap the match: “We went down to the wire at 9-9 in the final set, and France just happened to pip us to the post and win 11 – 9. That was really tough and it was heartbreaking”, he recounted. Losing the game was the end of their doubles campaign in Paris. However, Martin still had the opportunity to compete in the singles.

His first match was against the reigning champion in his category (Class 6). “It was never going to be an easy match”, said Martin. “Just the way the system works, we actually hadn’t played each other in the last five years, so it wasn’t as if we’d had loads of opportunities to work each other out. He got the better of me, I never really got going until the third set and by then it was too little too late.”

As much as it hurts it has definitely given me a platform to learn from and to hopefully take forward”, commented Martin.

Being able to represent ParalympicsGB was a career highlight for Martin and the team dynamics certainly didn’t disappoint.

“As the competition was just about to start they put stickers up on the outside wall (of the team house.), really cool graphics which were actually the ParalympicsGB medal tally and they updated it every single day. It was so cool to see those numbers rising and rising.”

Whether someone had a good or bad day, you were always there to offer a helping hand or say well done and that was just amazing to be amongst that and be part of one team”, explained Martin.

With the Games being held in Paris there was a fantastic opportunity for fans to travel over. “Wow, the support I had was unmatched, it was amazing. This is the closest I am ever going to have to a home Paralympic Games.”

He continued to say, “To have my wife, Siobhan, and daughter, Byra, both there and to have my in-laws Andy and Jacqueline, my own dad and then half of Drumchapel Table Tennis club from Glasgow come out. The support I had, it was just incredible and that means so much to me because they are the folks that have been in my life a long time, they mean the most to me.”

The fact that they got to see me do what I love doing, on the biggest stage in the world just meant so much.” Martin said.

Despite the Paralympics just concluded only one month ago, Martin already has his sights set on the next edition. “I definitely enjoyed my experience, and I can’t wait to relive it in four years’ time in LA (Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games).”

Martin said: “I thought I was hungry for Paris, but wow, LA is going to be awesome and I am so motivated to go again and to be a two-time Paralympian.”

If you are motivated to get involved in sport after hearing all about Martin’s experience in Paris, contact your Regional Development Manager to find out about any opportunities in your area.

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

08/10/2024

One Month Ago: Sammi Kinghorn’s Journey at Paris 2024

By Veronica Buccino

One month ago, on Sunday 8th September, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games came to a close. Scotland was represented by 21 Scots in ParalympicsGB’s team. The Scots had an impressive medal haul, winning a total of 20 medals in the French capital: 11 golds, 8 silvers, and 1 bronze.

Sammi Kinghorn (Para athletics) had a very memorable Games, contributing five medals (four individual) to the overall tally:

Gold – Women’s 100m T53 – Time of 15.64 (PR) – Day 7

Silver – Women’s 800m T53 – Time of 1:42.96 – Day 4

Silver – Women’s 1500m T54 – Time of 3:16.01 – Day 5

Silver – Women’s 400m T53 – Time of 53.45 – Day 8

Silver – 4x100m Universal Relay – Time of 46.01 (ER, AR), with Zach Shaw, Jonnie Peacock, and Ali Smith – Day 9

With her gold in the 100m, the 28-year-old set an incredible new Paralympic record time of 15.64 seconds.

Following the end of the Games, Sammi said: “It’s been the most amazing week I could have ever dreamt of. I really hoped that I could come close. The girl that I was racing, Catherine Debrunner, is incredibly strong and I knew it would be very hard. She was a tenth faster than me going throughout the year. I’m absolutely buzzing that I was able to take the win”.

She surprised herself by finding the podium in the 1500m T54, considering she had never competed in that event at a world championship or at the Paralympic Games.

She said: “I decided to throw myself in there and see what happens. I really kind of thought that I’d probably come fourth, could maybe squeeze a bronze if everything goes right. So to win a silver in that, I was just absolutely buzzing. I feel like I just kind of rode that feeling into the 100m”.

Sammi will never forget the moment when she started her first race in the Stade-de-France: “The whole stadium just erupted, and it was so incredibly loud, it was amazing. We went in for our 4×4 relay, and there were 70,000 people in that stadium all screaming”.

Coping with external pressures and battling the Scottish climate, it is fair to say that the Scot has ample of resilience. “I love training. I love that feeling on my body. I think I’m very lucky that is something that I really love. And I also get very nervous before races and I tell myself that, when they say, ‘on your marks’, I want to roll up with confidence, knowing that I’ve done everything I can to be here. And if I don’t get up and train, then I don’t deserve to be there”.

After winning one bronze medal at the previous Games (Tokyo 2020), Sammi has shown that she is getting stronger and stronger. It will be exciting to see what lies ahead for the Para athlete in the imminent future.

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

05/10/2024

Hope Gordon on Her Medal Win in Paris, Representing Scotland and the Importance of Female Influences in Sport

By Bethany Lee

Hope Gordon had an incredible 2024 Paralympics in Paris, leaving with a shiny silver medal in the women’s VL3 200m final alongside her ParalympicsGB teammate Charlotte Henshaw who took the gold.

Hope is now a three-time world silver medalist in Para canoe, storming through the world rankings.

Post-Paris, she hopped on a zoom with Scottish Disability Sport to tell us all about her Paralympics journey, how it feels to represent Scotland and what sport means to her.

So, have you recovered from the excitement and exhaustion yet of the Paralympics?

I’ve not really had time to sit by myself and think about it all since I got back. I’ve definitely tried to catch up on some sleep, especially after the homecoming in Birmingham, I had two days just to chill and I think I slept for 23 hours.

That must’ve been very needed. Take me back to that moment when you realised you had just won a Paralympic silver medal.

Well, we’ve kind of had the top two spots for the past few years, me and Char. Obviously we both want to win, but I was happy that she got it, and it was just really cool to get those top spots for ParalympicsGB. This is my first Paralympic medal so that was really special.

I also think to have so many family and friends in the stands, and knowing there’s a lot more watching back home, was really cool. It almost means more to me seeing how much it means to other people.

You were the only Scottish para canoer in the ParalympicsGB team – how does it feel to be able to represent Scotland?

I’m always so proud to fly the flag for Scotland within our team. Hopefully we will get more Scottish athletes within the system, I know there’s a couple that have just started out in a boat now, so hopefully over the next few years we see more racing. Maybe I’m the first, but I definitely don’t think I’ll be the last, so that’s the important thing.

It’s special to be the only one, and my family always makes sure there’s some Saltires in the crowd so that makes it easy for me to spot them!

And obviously you’re a brilliant para Nordic skier as well, did you feel different going into Paris after competing in the 2022 Winter Paralmypics?

It was a bit daunting going to the Winter Paralympics being so new to the sport and racing against massively established athletes. I was definitely a wee fish in a big pond, and it was quite significantly out of my comfort zone; but equally I actually think that benefited me going into Paris this year.

Even though it was a much bigger event, all I need to do is just paddle in a straight line as fast as I can and there wasn’t anybody on the start list in Paris that I hadn’t raced before so I kind of knew what I was doing, which wasn’t the case in Beijing.

You were the first female para-Nordic skier on the ParalympicsGB team. Do you think things have changed for female athletes?

I think with Paris this year what was really good was that we had the same events. In Tokyo within paracanoing, the guys had an extra event than the girls which obviously wasn’t great, especially since it was the event that I probably would have done. So, it’s a big step forward even from Tokyo to Paris and within our sport to have the same amount of events.

Within our team, the girls are super strong and it’s really cool to be a part of that. We got 8 medals, and the girls got 6 of those so it’s a strong team, especially on the female side.

On the Nordic side, it was a bit different being the only one. It’s just about taking opportunities and trying tings and just because you haven’t seen a female that looks like you doing the same sport, it doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

Fitting with that idea, it is Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week, and the theme is leadership. Are there any female coaches or influences in your life that have helped pushed you to where you are today?

I’ve had a few female coaches over my time. For swimming, when I was in Sterling, I had a female coach, Kerry, who got me through some quite tough times in and out of hospital.

I also think that such a big part of performance sport that people forget about is the volunteers, especially in rural areas. We would be absolutely lost without volunteers, and a huge portion of those, in my experience, have been female. My mum is actually one of those volunteers, it’s been a long time since I’ve been swimming at the clubs at home, but she’s still a volunteer coach.

When I joined the GB team, it was heavily male dominant from a staffing perspective, whereas now one of the main coaches is female, and the physio is female and she’s the best sports phsycio I’ve ever had, we would be broken without her.

Quite literally I can imagine! Do you think your younger self would believe where you are today and what you’ve achieved in sport?

I first watched the Paralympics in 2008 when I was in Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow. I’d just had a procedure that hadn’t gone to plan, and it left me quite ill, I had to lay completely flat on my back for a long time and I was put into a little side room and there was this tiny TV in the corner, and I watched the Beijing Summer Paralympics. If you’d asked that 13-year-old lying in a hospital bed if I’d go and compete in a summer and winter Paralympics in the space of two years and come away with a meal, there’s no way I would have thought I could do one of those things, nevermind all three of them.

Sport has been massively important, doctors told me that if I wasn’t so active my condition would have spread or gotten significantly worse. There’s also the psychological side of it, it gives you structure in your day, it gives you a reason to get out of bed. I think for me when I was going through quite a tough time, it felt like I could leave my wheelchair at the side of the pool and forget about it for two hours.

I genuinely don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have sport as a bit of an outlet to help me cope with things.

Finally, looking ahead, what is next for you?

I don’t know, is the honest answer, but I definitely hope I’ll be on the team in LA in a boat!

04/10/2024

“Girls can do sport, we’re really good at it!” The Scottish women that smashed the Paris 2024 Paralympics

In honour of Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week, here is a roundup of all the Scottish women that competed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and what female leadership in sport means to them.

By Bethany Lee

The Paris 2024 Paralympics was a whirlwind event that ended with ParalympicsGB in 2^nd place in the medals table. 21 Scots competed for the team and over half of them were women.

They are a testament to the greatness that can be achieved by women and girls in sport and that is what this week is all about (30 September to 6 October).

Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week aims to increase the visibility of female athletes and raise awareness for the benefits sport can have on physical, mental and social health and wellbeing.

This year a record breaking 46% of the ParalympicsGB team was female, including 11 Scottish women, whom all delivered incredible performances and brought home 11 medals.

Samantha Kinghorn smiling on the medals podium, holding her Paralympic gold medal and the Paralympic mascot. — Credit: ParalympicsGB

Samantha Kinghorn absolutely crushed it on the track winning her first Paralympic gold in the women’s 100m T53 with a time of 15.64, a new personal record. She also won four silver medals in Paris, bringing her to a total of six medals across three Paralympic games. There is no stopping Sammi!

Alongside Sammi in the Para athletics department was Glasgow’s Melanie Woods. Melanie herself used to be a Physical Education teacher, so she knows just how important female leadership is in sports. She left Paris with some huge personal best scores.

Scotland’s own Jenny Holl, pilot for tandem partner Sophie Urwin, had an incredible time in Paris absolutely dominating the track. The duo won two gold medals, as well as a silver and a bronze medal. Their gold in the women’s B Road race was particularly thrilling to watch, as they secured their win with an incredible final spirt.

Hope Gordon paddled her way to a silver medal in women’s 200m VL3 Para canoeing. The Scotswoman, originally from the Highlands, praised the women in her team in an interview with Scottish Disability Sport.

She said: “Within our team, the girls are super strong and it’s really cool to be a part of that. We got 8 medals, and the girls got 6 of those so it’s a strong team, especially on the female side.”

Hope Gordon paddling in a Para canoe race at the Paralympics — Credit: ParalympicsGB

Advising other women and girls hoping to get into sport, she said: “It’s just about taking opportunities and trying things, and just because you haven’t seen a female that looks like you doing the same sport, it doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”

She also praised all the women throughout her career working behind the scenes: “I also think that such a big part of performance sport that people forget about is the volunteers, especially in rural areas. We would be absolutely lost without volunteers, and a huge portion of those, in my experience, have been female.”

Kayleigh Haggo throwing a boccia ball at the Paralympics — Credit: ParalympicsGB/David Pearce

On the boccia court, Kayleigh Haggo was the only female athlete representing Scotland. She started playing boccia in 2022 and made her international debut last year. Despite not taking home a medal, Kayleigh made Scotland proud, winning many of her individual BC2 games.

Meanwhile in the Para triathlon, Dunfermline’s Alison Peasgood and her pilot Brooke Gillies, who have been competing together since 2021, narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the women’s PTVI event.

On the basketball court Scottish players Robyn Love and Jodie Waite competed for ParalympicsGB, smashing their way through the qualifiers and finishing fifth in the playoffs where they defeated Germany with a score of 48-39.

In the pool, Aberdeen’s Toni Shaw and University of Aberdeen’s Faye Rogers were giving it their all. Toni fought hard in the women’s 400m freestyle S9 final, finishing fifth. Faye took home a gold medal in the women’s 100m S10 Butterfly, a brilliant debut for her first Paralympics.

For Faye, encouraging women and girls to do sport is essential. Speaking to Scottish Disability Sport, she said: “I think sport can give you so many opportunities, obviously socially but it’s keeping fit and keeping healthy. It’s given me the opportunity to go to Paris and win a gold medal!

“None of that would have been possible without strong female role models. Representation always matters, being able to see someone who looks like you or has a similar disability to you or is the same gender as you, that matters, and it really helps.”

Faye diving off the board into the swimming pool during a race at the Paris 2024 Paralympics — Credit: ParalympicsGB

Faye also spoke out about the tendency for girls to avoid sport when they’re younger: “Girls can do sport, we’re really good at it. It’s a shame that in schools a lot of girls try and avoid it because honestly when you do get involved it’s so much fun and it’s a shame that so many girls miss out on that. You don’t have to be doing it at an elite level, but that’s okay too, it’s so much fun!”

There are so many opportunities that sport can provide, and anyone can get involved. Who knows, you might end up on the podium yourself one day.

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

27/09/2024

A Magical Moment for the McGuire Brothers at the Paris Paralympics

By William Moncrieff

Stephen McGuire made headlines at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games when he won gold in the men’s boccia individual BC4 – a historic moment for the Scot which was 20 years in the making.

What made the winning moment extra special was that his brother, Peter, was not only in Paris watching the gold final but he was commentating live for Channel 4.

In the final Stephen found himself up against Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica. Stephen beat the Columbian 8-5 on the way to being crowned champion.

“When they started asking me questions, after I knew Stephen’s outcome, I wasn’t prepared. I just fell to bits. All that work, he did it,” said Peter.

Peter had to wait a while before he could officially congratulate his brother in person.

“I first got to see him back here in Hamilton. The medal, he pulled it out of his sock and he presented it to me. That was a nice moment, sharing the achievement that he has been striving towards for 20 years,” he said.

Watching and commentating on his brother’s golden performance was an obvious highlight for Peter in Paris but the experience of being a part of Channel 4’s broadcasting crew was filled with great moments. Being a former Paralympian and now an active boccia coach, Peter was able to provide solid insight into the sport.

Commenting on his experience, he said: “The atmosphere was great. There was no pressure for me, so I really enjoyed the moment.”

“Some of the boccia played out there was outstanding, it really showcased the sport on the world stage,” he said.

The Paris Paralympics were the second Games that Peter had attended in an official capacity. Both Peter and Stephen were selected to represent ParalympicsGB at London 2012. Going to a Paralympics and being with his brother when he accomplished his goal, is something that Peter looks back on fondly.

“At the time my brother’s (Stephen) only goal was to compete at a Paralympics. He’s gone one better and won gold now.”

Competing with his brother is something Peter views as some of his biggest highlights in the sport. “We were world championship silver medallists. It was amazing to have that with him,” said Peter.

Over the last year Scottish Disability Sport have been working alongside SQA to make physical education more accessible. This development within the education system in Scotland means that pupils with a disability can be assessed performing in both boccia and goalball. Peter views this as being a positive step forward. “It’s great that it’s happening now.”

“If Stephen and I had that back then when we were going through high school, it might have opened up the avenue to do PE. We didn’t know what boccia was back then.”

Furthermore, it will, “help introduce the sport to a younger audience. We will reap the benefits for boccia in years to come.”

If you would be interested in taking up the sport of boccia you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager, or by contacting the Boccia Development Officer – Jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com

In case you missed any of the Paris 2024 Paralympic action, you can find all the daily reviews and highlights on the SDS website, here.

To keep up to date on all things disability sport across Scotland, make sure to follow SDS on Facebook, X and Instagram and on the SDS website.

24/09/2024

Golden Debut: A Recap of Faye Rogers First Paralympic Games

The Para swimmer left Paris with a gold medal in her first ever Paralympic games, three years after her accident.

By Bethany Lee

21-year-old Faye Rogers can now call herself a Paralympic champion after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games (28 August – 8 September).

The University of Aberdeen student had her crowing moment in the women’s 100m Butterfly S10. The race was incredibly tight, with Faye swimming beside ParalympicsGB teammate Callie-Ann Warrington.

The pair were neck-and-neck until Faye pushed into the lead, grabbing the gold with a time of 1:05.84, a slender 0.57 seconds ahead of her teammate.

Photo of Faye Rogers and her teammate Callie-Ann Warrington, swimming side by side in the final of the 100m butterfly S10. — Photo credit: ParalympicsGB

The thrilling conclusion to the intense race left Faye in shock. Looking back on her golden moment, she said: “You know when you see people celebrating in the pool, I didn’t. I knew I’d won, but it didn’t sink in, and then I got out of the pool and I was like woah I’ve just won, it kind of hit me late.”

When asked how it felt to win, she added: “To be honest there was a lot of relief in there, I was quite nervous going into it. I think the best feeling was being on the podium. I could see my family and I was trying really hard not to just look at my mum and cry. I honestly can’t put into words how amazing that feeling is.”

Photo of Faye leaning on the swimming lane ropes and smiling after her race — Photo credit: ParalympicsGB

As well as winning gold, Faye made it to two other Paralympic finals, finishing 5^th in both the women’s 200m Individual Medley SM10 with a time of 2:33.90 and the women’s 400m Freestyle S10 with a time of 4:41.50.

She also competed in the women’s 100m Freestyle S10, finishing second in the swim-offs by just 0.06 seconds.

Looking back as the Games came to a close, Faye said: “This week has just been crazy, it’s still not sunk in yet. It’s just been the most surreal week.”

Photo of Faye Rogers smiling and holding her gold medal on the podium — Photo credit: ParalympicsGB

The University of Aberdeen student had already drawn attention after her international debut at the 2023 World Championships, taking home three medals including a gold in the 100m Butterfly S10. She was also named Para Swimming Emerging Athlete of the Year in 2023 by British Swimming.

The star swimmer has been competing since the age of nine and took part in the Olympic trails in 2021 in London. Shortly after, she was involved in a car accident and told she’d never race competitively again.

Now, she is a world champion, a European record holder and, almost exactly three years after her accident, a Paralympic gold medallist.

Going forward, Faye hopes to compete for Scotland in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be on home soil (or water!). Faye was born in Durham but trains and is based in Aberdeen where she is studying biochemistry with the hopes of becoming a doctor.

In case you missed any of the Paris 2024 Paralympic action, you can find all the daily reviews and highlights on the SDS website, here.

To keep up to date on all things disability sport across Scotland, make sure to follow SDS on Facebook, X and Instagram and the SDS website.

11/09/2024

Medal Moments at the Paris 2024 Paralympics

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have come to an end. Here are all the mighty medal-winning moments from Scotland’s Para athletes in the French capital.

By Bethany Lee

Sunday saw the grand finale of an incredible Paralympics, with Great Britain winning a total of 124 medals and finishing second behind the People’s Republic of China.

Scots made up 9.8% of the ParalympicsGB team and brought home a total of 20 medals, including 11 golds, 8 silvers, and 1 bronze.

The Scottish athletes competed in 10 different sports and gave some unforgettable performances.

So, here are all of the medals won by ParalympicsGB’s Scottish athletes at this year’s Paris 2024 Paralympics!

Key: WR – World Record; PR – Paralympic Record; PGB – Paralympic Games Best; ER (AR) – European Record (Area Record); SR – Scottish Record; PB – Personal Best.

Para Swimming

The Scots were giving it their all in the pool, with the Borders’ Stephen Clegg, Glasgow’s Louis Lawlor, Aberdeen’s Toni Shaw, and University of Aberdeen student Faye Rogers all competing. Stephen and Faye delivered standout performances, gaining 3 golds for ParalympicsGB.

Gold – Stephen Clegg – Men’s 100m Backstroke S12 – Time of 59.02 (WR) – Day 3

Gold – Stephen Clegg – Men’s 100m Butterfly S10 – Time of 57.49 – Day 10

Gold – Faye Rogers – Women’s 100m Butterfly S10 – Time of 1:05.84 – Day 6

Para Cycling

On the track and road, Strathpeffer’s Fin Graham and Aberdeen’s Neil Fachie sped to the podium whilst Forth Valley’s Jenny Holl piloted partner Sophie Unwim to four medal victories. None of the cycling Scots came home empty handed.

Gold – Jenny Holl (Pilot for Sophie Unwin) – Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit – Time of 3:17.643 (WR) – Day 4

Gold – Jenny Holl (Pilot for Sophie Unwim) – Women’s B Road Race – Time of 2:37:26 – Day 9

Gold – Fin Graham – Men’s C1-3 Road Race – Time of 1:43:19 – Day 10

Silver – Fin Graham – Men’s C3 3000m Individual Pursuit – Time of 3:22.540 – Day 2

Silver – Neil Fachie (With Pilot Matthew Rotherham) – Men’s B 1000m Time Trial – Time of 59.312 – Day 4

Silver – Jenny Holl (Pilot for Sophie Unwim) – Women’s B Individual Time Trial – Time of 39:39.118 – Day 7

Bronze – Jenny Holl (Pilot for Sophie Unwim) – Women’s B 1000m Time Trial – Time of 1:07.719 – Day 2

Para Athletics

It was a busy tournament for the Scots on the track. The Borders’ Samantha Kinghorn MBE, Fife’s Ben Sandilands, and Glasgow’s Melanie Woods all fought hard in their races. Sammi had a particularly special games, collecting a total of five medals to better her medal tally from the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Gold – Ben Sandilands – Men’s 1500m T20 – Time of 3:45.20 (WR & PR) – Day 9

Gold – Sammi Kinghorn – Women’s 100m T53 – Time of 15.64 (PR) – Day 7

Silver – Sammi Kinghorn – Women’s 800m T53 – Time of 1:42.96 – Day 4

Silver – Sammi Kinghorn – Women’s 1500m T54 – Time of 3:16.01 – Day 5

Silver – Sammi Kinghorn – Women’s 400m T53 – Time of 53.45 – Day 8

Silver – Sammi Kinghorn (with Zach Shaw, Jonnie Peacock, and Ali Smith) – 4x100m Universal Relay – Time of 46.01 (ER, AR) – Day 9

Boccia

Three Scottish athletes took to the court for some boccia action in Paris: Edinburgh’s Patrick Wilson, Ayrshire’s Kayleigh Haggo, and Hamilton’s Stephen McGuire. Stephen left with his first Paralympic medal – a glorious gold in the inaugural event for his category.

Gold – Stephen McGuire – Men’s Individual BC4 – Win of 8-5 – Day 5

Para Archery

Lothian star Nathan Macqueen represented Scotland in Para Archery, winning gold with teammate Jodie Grinham.

Gold – Nathan Macqueen – Mixed Team Compound Open – Win of 155-151 – Day 5

Wheelchair Tennis

The tennis court was on fire this Paralympics with some exciting action, including a wonderful doubles win from Glasgow’s Gorden Reid.

Gold – Gorden Reid (with Alfie Hewett) – Men’s Doubles – Win of 2-0 (6-2, 6-1) – Day 9

Para Canoe

And finally, in Para canoe, Hope Gordon was the only Scottish athlete to compete. She did us proud, bringing home a shiny silver for ParalympicsGB.

Silver – Hope Gordon – Women’s Va’a Single 200m VL3 – Time of 56.59 – Day 10

A very successful Paralympics overall for our Scottish athletes.