Tag: 2024

08/01/2025

Scottish Cerebral Palsy Football Squad Awards

Recognition, celebration, and forward planning were all key themes at the inaugural Cerebral Palsy Football Squad Awards Event at the Xcite Linlithgow venue on Saturday 14^th December. 49 people attended to witness the first awards presented to senior and development squad players as well as volunteers and fundraisers. Squad sponsor, Coca-Cola, was recognised and thanked for their invaluable support and sponsorship throughout the season and what a season that was!

After becoming IFCPF World Champions, the Scottish Squad is now placed within the top 16 in the world. Head coach, Billy McAdam, congratulated and thanked all players, coaches, parents, support staff and sponsors for all their support during 2024.

The Development Squad and Senior Squad Players were given commmemorative medals before the main awards were presented. Award winners are listed below:

Supporter of the Year Andy Millership

Fundraiser of the Year Caroline and Arthur Moore

Outstanding Service Award Coach, David Wilson

Best Newcomer Will Graham

Young Player of the Year Logan Smith

Goal of the Season Mathew Wynne

Players Player of the Year Martin Hickman

Player of the Year Jamie Mitchell

The following players were also recognised for the number of international appearances made:

25 International Appearances

Chris Moore

Kerr McKenzie

Lewis McIntyre

50 International Appearances

Blair Glynn

Jamie Mitchell

Martin Hickman

100 International Appearances

Jonathan Paterson

Mark Robertson

27/12/2024

Boccia 2024 Recap: A Year of Sport

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

What a year it has been for boccia across Scotland. Throughout the year, events, partnership working and sponsorships along with new playing opportunities and developing clubs have all played a factor in increasing the interest in this rising sport.

EVENTS

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) would like to thank all coaches, volunteers, officials and athletes for the role that they have played in the event schedule this year. It would not have been possible without their ongoing support.

SCOTTISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The national events calendar kicked off on March 20th, with the Scottish Schools Championship. The event went well and there was no drop in the number of entries from the inaugural championship (in 2023). It was a great day at The Peak, Stirling, with branches being able to showcase their talent and put forward the same representation as previous years.

Across the day there was some great boccia on display, with athletes keen to come up trumps in all classifications. Starting with athletes with an Assistive Device, gold went to Sophia Walsh, silver to Ellie MacLaren and bronze to Logan Millar. In the athletes with a Learning Disability classification, gold went to Eleanor Little, silver to Scott Chafey and bronze being won by Kate Burton. In the final classification, athletes with a Physical Disability, Layla McCloskey came out on top to take the gold medal, followed by Emma McManamon with silver and bronze going to James O’Brien.

SCOTTISH OPEN

Next up was the Scottish Open, which took place on the 5th October. It was a great championship with athletes from all over Scotland coming together to showcase their respective boccia abilities.

In the BC2, Perth and Kinross’s Alex Medley came out victorious, winning gold. Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo) finished second and bronze was awarded to Lewis McConnell.

In the BC3, gold went to Paralympics GB’s Patrick Wilson and Meredith Greenwood. In second place and picking up the silver prize was the duo of Ross MacNeil and Stewart MacNeil.

In the BC4, gold went to Paralympic champion Stephen McGuire. Silver was won by Tyler McLelland with bronze going to Fiona Muirhead

The Open had a Development Draw which acted as a further opportunity to develop young talent across Scotland. The event also enabled up-and-coming athletes to experience a national tournament, which gave them valuable exposure.

In the Development Draw, the Physical Disability Competition gold went to James O’Brien, silver to Murrin Widley and bronze being won by Layla McCloskey.

In the Development Draw, Assistive Device Competition, gold went to Zac Cameron and Kevin Davidson, silver to Ellie McLaren and Lisa Mclaren, and finishing in bronze was Caoimhe Potter and Katie Macmillan.

SDS NATIONAL NON BISFED SCOTTISH OPEN

Next up was the SDS National Non BISFed Scottish Open. The event took place on October 26th, with athletes from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland competing.

Starting in the athletes who use an assistive device competition the Scotts had a strong Showing, with Ross & Stewart MacNeil winning gold with Becky and Fiona Tyler winning the silver.  The junior athletes with a physical disability winner was Oliver Hastings from England with silver going to Emma McManamon and bronze to James O’Brien.

Next up was the Senior athletes with a physical disability. The winner was Duncan McIntyre, silver was won by Connor Dixon.

The female Learning disability Champion was Sarah Digby, with silver going to Zoe Irving and bronze won by Casey Wilson. The event finished with the male learning disability competition. The champion being Hayden Keir, silver going to Jordan Shepherd and the bronze medal going to Jean Pierre Cossigny.

UK CHAMPIONSHIPS

On the 15th of November the UK Championships began. Taking place at the renowned facilities owned by Sportscotland at Largs, Inverclyde. It was a great championships with 39 players arriving on the west coast of Scotland in a bid to come out victorious. The day had 7 Scottish athletes. With Paralympic trio winning medals. Winning BC3 Gold was Patrick Wilson. Finishing on top in the BC4 and taking home Gold was Stephen McGuire. Kayleigh Brown had another strong compitition and finished Silver in the BC2.

BOCCIA DEVELOPMENT DAY

The Inaugural Invitational Boccia Development Day took place on the 30th of November. This day saw five of Scotland’s up and coming athletes being invited along to learn from two of Scotland’s most prolific boccia coaches from the national set up. The day served a purpose of getting young athletes and providing them with an opportunity to develop their skills and abilities, with a possibility that this will result in the athletes being able to continue along the national performance pathway.

PARIS 2024 PARALYMPICS

The Paralympics took place from the 28th August to 5th September. Three Scots were selected to represent ParalympicsGB: Kayleigh Brown, Patrick (Paddy) Wilson and Stephen McGuire.

What a Paralympics this was, with Kayleigh Brown achieving her childhood dream and becoming the Paralympian she always wanted to be. Kayleigh put in a really strong showing throughout the group stages and was defeated in the Individual BC2 quarter finals, 8 – 2 by Gischa Zayana. In the BC1/2 team competition Kayleigh Brown was joined by Claire Taggart and David Smith. The team had a good run to take them through to the quarter finals. Despite being down early in the match the trio battled back to take the game down to a nail-biting finish where they were beaten by the BC1/2 Indonesian team in a 7 – 7 tie break.

Paddy Wilson qualified for the Paralympics through a bipartite slot. Paddy put in an impressive showing in the group stages to finish in second place. However, Paddy was defeated in the quarter finals despite a strong performance, going down 4 – 1 to Damien Iskrzycki.

It will be hard to forget about BC4 athlete, Stephen McGuire’s tournament. From qualifying through a bipartite slot, to being the first Scottish athlete to win a Paralympic medal in boccia. A dream he has waited 20 years to fulfill.

Stephen wasn’t the only McGuire making waves out in Paris with brother Peter commentating in the BC4 final, giving all the McGuires a moment to look back on with pride.

NATIONAL BOCCIA DAY

National Boccia day took place on 27th of September. The day saw each home nation pick their own theme to engage the boccia community. SDS chose to raise the topic of communities. Boccia plays a vital role in growing and connecting communities, from friendships to support networks. Throughout the day, SDS member branches, clubs, athletes, volunteers and officials all showed how the community of boccia has impacted them.

SPONSORSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP

In 2024, Scottish boccia had a first by receiving financial support from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors. This was provided to support further boccia development throughout Scotland. The backing from Shepherd will help fund SDS’s ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for people of all abilities, to try and participate in boccia across the country.

Throughout 2024, SDS have continued to work with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland. The organisation has worked hard to develop the sport of boccia within their network to ensure that more individuals can continue to gain the psychological and physiological benefits of boccia. Currently the organisation has got over 300 regular participants playing boccia in their bases, with 20 boccia sessions being delivered within their peer groups.

SDS made decent progress in 2024, in the education sector. Working alongside the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA), updates were made to the list of activities in which young people can assessed as part of their PE qualifications at National 3 through to Advanced Higher level in school.

This has resulted in school pupils throughout the 2024 -25 school year being able to have their performance assessed in Paralympic sports such as boccia, goalball and other wheelchair, powerchair and Parasport activities.

CLUBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

In 2024 Forth Vally Right on Target boccia club were made an associate member club of SDS. This was due to the club continuing to provide a service that is up to date with relevant legislations, policies and procedures. Furthermore, the club committed to continually meeting SDS’s minimum operating requirements.

Throughout 2024 SDS has received feedback from organisations, about the rising popularity of boccia. This can be seen by the work that Scottish Student Sport have put into developing a strong playing base; with boccia being their fifth most popular sport in 2024, with 181 sessions and over 2000 participants taking part across their associated Universities and Colleges.

The popularity, interest and demand for boccia has continued to grow throughout 2024. The 2023-2024 boccia audit showed that there is currently 39 opportunities to get involved in boccia. These opportunities are found within 18 local authorities across Scotland.

If you would be interested in finding out more about these opportunities, you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager. This manager will be able to provide you with information on local opportunities to get involved as a volunteer, coach, official or player.

Alternatively, you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Make sure to stay uptodate on all opportunities throughout Scotland, by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

22/12/2024

Moving to LGBTIQ Inclusion at LEAP Sports Conference

Blog by Hollie Fullerton, SDS YPSP Administrator

On the 30^th of October I was absolutely delighted to attend the 2024 LEAP Sports Conference in Stirling on behalf of Scottish Disability Sport and the Young Persons Sport Panel. LEAP Sports Scotland is a charity dedicated to improving inclusion in sports for all LGBTIQ+ people living in Scotland and breaking down the barriers that queer people face in sports. The acronym ‘LEAP’ represents: Leadership, Equality and Active Participation in Sports. At its core, LEAP’s values greatly align with Scottish Disability Sport, because both organisations want to make sport a better place for those who often experience discrimination, exclusion, and barriers to participation in sport. I have been following LEAP’s work closely since I took part in one of training courses on inclusive sport. They hold a conference every two years, so when the opportunity came up through the panel to attend this conference, I was so excited to be able to go!

The conference was kicked off by Hannah Bardell, who then introduced Maree Todd, the Scottish Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. After this, the first panel began, focused on lived experience of LGBTIQ+ sport, and entitled ‘Our Community, Our voice’. The speakers included: Colin Arthur, Atlas Martin, Osman, Reuben Jarvis, and Carolina Sousa E Sa. It was a great way to begin the day, giving insight into their very varied experiences with sport and how each had supported other LGBTIA+ individuals to get involved in physical activity. I took away the key message that at its core, sport should be for enjoyment and socialisation through exercise, and so we should really focus on participation over segregation.

The next talk was my favourite of the day, entitled: ‘Breaking down the fear and the barriers’ by Dr. Sheree Bekker and Professor Stephen Mumford, known for their work on the Feminist Sport Lab. They discussed the ways in which sport is historically and structurally patriarchal and explored how equity can be achieved through restorative justice. They concluded that sport must be entirely reconstructed with new values and ethics in order to build a better future for all athletes. You can read more about their work on their site: https://www.feministsportlab.com/

The next talk came from Fergus Guppy who had studied transgender athletes in order to better understand their unique physiology. This work was so interesting to hear about as there is very little scientific data available on transgender athletes, so having more will help future researchers draw more accurate conclusions, as well as allowing key decision makers in sport to be better informed when they are creating inclusive policy.

There were many workshops to choose from, and I got to hear about the great work going on at Scottish Paddle, Scottish Curling, and Live Active Sport in Perth and Kinross. All three organisations mentioned their inclusive offerings, so if you’re interested in getting out on the water, hitting the ice rink, or trying out Floorball with the Perth Parrots, I would definitely recommend them all!

After a delicious lunch from the Stirling Court Hotel, we then heard from Paralympian Robyn Love who is on the GBR Wheelchair Basketball team. I was especially excited to hear all about Robyn’s time at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, having been there myself to watch the thrilling final between the Netherlands and the USA – This was my first time watching Wheelchair basketball live and such an amazing match to witness! Robyn was very funny and personable, answering questions and talking about her experiences leading up to the games with Hannah Bardell. What I hadn’t expected from Robyn’s talk was how eloquently she explored the barriers to sport for parents, discussing how even at such an elite level, it can be very hard to juggle parenting with training – having recently welcomed a new child with her partner Laurie Williams who is also on the same GBR wheelchair basketball team! Their story was so special to hear about and I can’t wait to see what comes next, especially with wheelchair basketball set to feature in Glasgow’s 2026 Commonwealth Games. I just hope I can get tickets!!

The afternoon continued with talks on LBTI+ Women in Sport, followed by speaker Michele Mommi from the EGLSF, before the best panel of the day (not that I am biased!) titled Visible and Proud. This panel discussion included out and proud members of the sports development community, including Alex Johnston, Amy McDonald, Keith MacLeod, Cara Shearer, and SDS’s own Head of Development: Lynne Glen. Hearing such experienced and established members of the sports community talk about the importance of belonging in our environments was very powerful. Lynne made a great contribution relating to tackling funding silos, and how all organisations should have the same core visions of making all sports environments inclusive, accessible, and welcoming places to be.

The final panel of the day answered the question: ‘Moving to LGBTIQ+ Inclusion: How is it Going?’ and featured speakers Lou Englefield, Jess Williams, Macolm Dingwall-Smith, and Hugh Torrance. This panel left me with two key takeaways from the day: don’t be afraid to challenge existing barriers, and focus on participation over regulation.

In conclusion, there was a fantastic range of talks, workshops, and panels on during the day, and I am so grateful to SDS for enabling me to attend this professional learning event. I gained great insight into the current discourse surrounding LGBTIQ+ inclusion in sport and what actions we can take to break down the barriers to accessing equitable sport and physical activity for all. This was actually the first ever professional conference I have attended, and I hope any future events are as welcoming, inclusive and accessible as the LEAP 2024 conference was!

18/12/2024

John Dambrosio Finalist for UK Coaching Awards

Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion are so proud that our Head of Coaching Development, John Dambrosio was nominated and chosen as a finalist of the UK Coaching Awards Change a Life category. This is quite a remarkable accolade and achievement as John was the only Judo Coach to make the finalists in all categories and was also the only Scots person in all categories.

Most pleasing is that the nomination came outwith Judo by South Lanarkshire Disability Sport in recognition of the great work this year that John and his team have completed through the Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion Development Programme for Disability / ASN and Social Care Groups which was featured early in JS Facebook.

16/12/2024

Job Opportunity: Head of Business Operations at Scottish Rowing

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Scottish Rowing are looking for a Head of Business Operations.

Closing Date: 5th January 2025
Salary: £40,000 – £43,000 FTE (subject to experience)
Contract Type: Part-time (0.6 FTE)
Permanent Location: Hybrid (Office based at Scottish Rowing Centre, 366 Hamilton Road, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, ML1 3ED)

Application Pack: available here.

About Scottish Rowing
Scottish Rowing is the Governing Body for rowing in Scotland. Our vision is a successful and thriving rowing community and our mission is to support and empower people in Scotland to enjoy rowing and achieve their potential.

Since 2022, Scottish Rowing has gone through an exciting period of significant change with the introduction of a new Olympic discipline, the expansion of the performance programme and a specific focus on extending the reach of the sport into non-traditional rowing communities.
We are about to undertake our next strategic review – setting the direction for Scottish Rowing for 2026-29 and beyond – and are seeking a Head of Business Operations to join the Senior Leadership Team and lead on key matters of organisational health and with the aim to improve
business effectiveness.

Scottish Rowing currently employs a team of 13 staff with the organisation based at the Scottish Rowing Centre – its own dedicated training facility and office space at Strathclyde Country Park, near Motherwell. The Head of Business Operations will be responsible to the Chief Executive Officer and will oversee the business operations of the organisation including governance and compliance, support for the CEO, Chair and Board, office management including HR, membership systems, corporate planning and reporting, and risk management.

As this is a new role within the organisation, we are looking for an individual with experience in setting up business systems and processes with a strong focus on efficiency and a passion for continuous improvement. This will be a unique and exciting opportunity to help shape
the future of one of Scotland’s leading Olympic sports.

16/12/2024

“It was a year where dreams came true.”

2024 – a year in sport, for Claire Morrison.

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

What a year 2024 has been for Claire Morrison, a current board member of Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and performance coach with Boccia UK. Claire attended the Paris 2024 Paralympics, helping Paralympics GB reach new heights on the boccia court.

However, the year started off with uncertainty, with Paralympic qualification looming over athletes and coaches: “The year started off with a focus on trying to qualify the BC4 pair (Stephen McGuire and Fiona Muirhead)”, Claire explained.

Things were looking good when Kayleigh Brown achieved her lifelong dream and qualified for the Paralympics. However, this news was followed quickly by a disappointing result where the BC4 partnership of Stephen and Fiona didn’t manage to qualify as a pair. Meaning Claire’s and the coaching team’s plans had changed. “When the pair didn’t qualify the focus shifted to Stephen trying to qualify as an individual.”

For Stephen, things were still looking turbulent as his only option of going to Paris was via a bipartite slot; the first time that World Boccia had done this.

On July 1st, Stephen found out that both he and fellow Scot, Patrick Wilson (BC3), received bipartite slots. To mark a fourth Games for Stephen.

“I was absolutely delighted, because he was sitting 3rd in the world rankings at the time, having won one world cup, having come second in another and won a Challenger in the season so far. It was one of those ones where you thought, there should be no reason why he doesn’t get a slot, based on his form that year, his position in the rankings and overcoming injury.”

The Paris Paralympics started on August 28th, and Stephen was continuing his form, nicely working his way through the pool stages to advance to the quarterfinals. “The quarter final was going to be one of his biggest tests as he was probably going to be facing a Paralympic medallist and he just absolutely blew him away. Stephen just went out on court and played one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play”, reflected Claire.

Next up was Stephen’s semifinal and despite a shaky end to the game, he found himself proceeding through to the BC4 Paralympic final. On the morning of the final Claire said: “I remember saying to him, ‘whatever happens today, it is going to be a good day. You’re going to get your Paralympic medal’ ”, said Claire.

In the final Stephen took the first end 3-0, against Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica. The Colombian fought back in the second end drawing level (3-3). Stephen remained calm and bounced back, dominating the third end with five points (8-3). The Colombian had to pull something special out of the bag to leapfrog into the lead. However, Stephen only allowed him to score two points, resulting in Stephen claiming the title, 8-5.

The win for Stephen was a 20 yearlong dream coming true. “It was amazing, it gives me goosebumps now even just thinking about it. All that work, all that perseverance has come together. To be in that moment with him was unreal”, Claire said.

What made the moment extra special was that Stephen’s brother, former Paralympian Peter McGuire, was commentating on the BC4 final with Channel 4.

“At the time, I thought to myself that once that day was finished, that’s my tears done. Then I heard Peter’s commentary piece and that just set me off again”, said Claire.

At the same time, Kayleigh was making strides at her first Paralympics. Claire took the time to reflect on Kayleigh’s debut Games.

“That first game that Kayleigh played, where she went out there and became the Paralympian that she always wanted to be, in some ways for me that was as big as Stephen winning the gold medal.”

Claire continued to say: “She narrowly lost her first game but the way she held herself, the way she embraced that environment was fantastic.”

Kayleigh put in a fantastic shift, to make it to the quarterfinals but Gischa Zayana (INA) put an end to her individual Paralympic campaign, taking the game 8-2.

For Claire to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB as part of the coaching staff is always special. “It is such an honor, I’ve always loved sports and I loved the Olympics but as soon as I got involved with disability sport and SDS, the Paralympics became such a big part of my life, as a spectator and now as a coach.”

“Even now when I go to something like a training camp it means so much when I put my GB kit on, I have to pinch myself.”

For Claire it has been an amazing year. “We hear so much about the power of sport and that has played out so much throughout my life, there is such a sense of pride.”

Now coming to the end of 2024, it is moving into award season and Claire picked up Coach Of The Year at the SDS, Scottish Women In Sport and Sportscotland award ceremonies.

“Again, that is something that I am proud of. Being in the spotlight isn’t something that sits naturally comfortably with me. It has been amazing to get the Scottish Disability Sport Coach of the Year Award and now the Scottish Women in Sport award, purely because you know that I know that the athletes really value what I have done.”

However, for Claire these awards mean a lot more than personal recognition: “It is really important as you know, being in different environments – whether it’s being a women in sport or being involved in Parasport – these are amazing experiences and opportunities for everybody. If I get a bit of recognition, it’s not really about me, it’s about boccia and it’s about Parasports.”

Reflecting on the year, Claire remarks: “It was a year where dreams came true. I know that sounds cheesy, but in a sentence that’s what it was and it’s truly remarkable.”

If you have enjoyed hearing about Claire’s journey throughout 2024 and would like to get involved as a coach, participant, official or volunteer, please contact your Regional Development Manager or contact SDS by email: admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or call: 0131 317 1130.

Make sure to stay uptodate on all opportunities throughout Scotland, by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

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.

19/10/2024

YPSP member, Aidan Moody, Adds to Tennis Medal Collection

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice

Last month Aidan Moody, a current member of Scottish Disability Sport’s Young Persons’ Sports Panel, found himself competing in a tennis tournament in Annecy, France.

“The tournament was really good. It was the VISTUS World Tennis Championships. Loads of different countries were there and I was there representing Great Britain.” Sai Aidan, who was competing in both the singles and doubles with his partner Olly.

“I had four other players in my singles group. A French person who was number 4 in the world and an Australian who was a former world number 1, so I knew the group was going to be really tough”, said Aidan.

Although he knew it was going to be a challenge to make it out of his group, he was motivated to cause an upset. He came ever so close to achieving this when he took on the French player and narrowly lost, 6-4. Despite the loss, it was a performance that he was extremely proud of

He put up a good fight throughout the tournament, to finish in 9th place overall. He said, “After losing to the two seeds in my group, I went on to win all my other singles matches, making it to the consolation 9/10 play off final, winning 6-3 against Australia.”

“I think it was an achievement to get into the top 10, and I am happy with how I played.”

In the double’s tournament, the pair clawed back to take the win against the home favourites, winning 6-2. Their winning momentum continued and they quickly found themselves in the semifinals. Although Aidan and Olly were unable to secure a spot in the final, they were successful in sealing bronze.

“Managing to get a bronze was really good, we were both really happy with that”, said Aidan.

With his tournament following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Aidan was really motivated to play well. “I was supporting Gordon Reid who is also Scottish and was competing in Paris. It was really exciting and motivating.”

He continued to say: “Learning Disability Tennis isn’t currently at the Paralympics but they are having talks to get it there. Fingers crossed that one day I can make it there which would be really cool.”

Now that the dust has settled on the Championships in Annecy, Aidan can reflect on his overall performance.

“We kept playing really well [in the doubles]. The communication was really good and I think we are just a really good partnership to be fair.”

“We also competed in January at the Australian Open. We partnered there and were the runner ups and then we got bronze in France. It’s been a really good partnership so far, so I would definitely like to keep it going.”

Aidan Moody standing on the tennis court in Australia, holding his trophy after winning the tournament — Aidan Moody standing on court holding his trophy at the Australian Open, earlier this year

Aidan is now really excited for his next steps in the game. “I’ve got more experience now and it’s made me hungry to keep on going, working hard and just keep coming back with a positive mindset.”

The future is looking very bright. All the best of luck, Aidan!

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.

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