Tag: boccia

29/11/2024

Blog: Layla McCloskey – Studying Boccia at School

A few months ago, the SQA published new guidance outlining the steps schools and colleges can take to help make its National Physical Education qualifications more accessible to learners with physical disabilities.

Working with Scottish Disability Sport, SQA has updated the list of activities young people can be assessed in as part of their PE qualifications at National 3 through to Advanced Higher level.

For the 2024-25 school year, learners can have their performance assessed in Paralympic sports such as Boccia, Goalball, and other wheelchair, powerchair, and parasports activities, which can then contribute towards their final grade.

One such pupil who hopes to achieve a Higher with boccia, is Barrhead High School student, Layla McCloskey.

Layla will be writing a blog to share her experience and document this journey.

BLOG: LAYLA MCCLOSKEY

Hello My name is Layla McCloskey, and I go to Barrhead High School just outside Glasgow

I am studying Boccia and Frame running as part of my PE. I am working towards a national 5.

I think it is brilliant that Boccia and Frame Running are part of the curriculum as it gives me and other young people an opportunity to be included in sports. To participate in two sports that I love and will hopefully gain qualifications for my future.

I have been able to introduce a sport to my peers that I am very passionate about. Already another pupil has taken up Boccia as part of their SQA exams and will give other pupils in the
future to take a sport that is so inclusive.

I would hopefully like to coach Boccia in the future and introduce the sport to many other schools.

It’s great to be able to achieve a qualification within my learning environment

For more information about the SQA update, visit here.

18/11/2024

Two Scottish Champions Crowned and a Silver Medal at the UK Boccia Championships

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator

Sunday the 17th of November saw the UK Boccia Championships conclude. The final day of the tournament had some fantastic boccia on display, with 39 players representing Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland battling it out for medals.

The seven strong Scottish squad featured in the BC2, BC3 and BC4 tournaments. Here is how they got on, on Sunday.

Paul McIntyre (Forth Valley) took on Penny Froude in the BC4 playoff. After a closely fought match Penny came out victorious, defeating Paul 3 -2. Paul returned later on in the day in the 5th/6th place play off against fellow Scot, Tyler McLelland. It was an extremely close match, going to a tiebreak. Paul went on to win the tie break seeing him finish in 5th place overall (4-4)

Tyler McLelland (Fife) kicked off his final day taking on Louis Saunders in the BC4 playoff. Narrowly losing 3-2, Tyler ended up finishing in 6th place in the BC4 after a hard fought match in the playoff.

The day continued on for the McIntyre brothers with Scott taking on Jayne Milligan in the BC4 7th/8th place playoff. Unfortunately, Scott lost 7-8 in a close game, the Forth Valley boccia player will be returning home with an 8th place in the BC4.

Alex Medley from Perth and Kinross won his final match of the week, 6 – 4 to see him cap off his championship with a 7th place finish in the BC2.

Ayrshire’s Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo) won her first match of the day against James Clowes (7-1) to advance through to the BC2 final, against Reshad Saraj.

It was an intense final with the last ball deciding the medals. Reshad took the gold with Kayleigh settling for silver.

Fellow Paris 2024 Paralympians – Patrick Wilson and Stephen McGuire – put on a cracking show in the BC3 and BC4 finals.

After success in the semifinal (beating Sally Kidson 4-3), Paddy faced William Arnott in the BC3 final. As expected, it was a closely contested game but the Scot put in a stellar performance to bag his second UK Championship title of his career.

After a 10 – 1 win over Penny Froude, Stephen faced Sophie Newnham in his final. Sophie made the Paralympic champion work hard in the BC4 final which proved to be yet another, very close and riveting face-off which came down to the last balls of play. A bit of luck was on Stephen’s side as he took the title, 3-2.

Many thanks to all the athletes, assistants, coaches, officials, volunteers that made the Championships such a huge success.

SDS would also like to say a huge thank you to all the event sponsors: Associated Seafoods Ltd, BioMar Ltd, Blackadders LLP, Blacks Haulage Solutions Ltd, Cefetra Ltd, Glenarm Organic Salmon, Inverlussa Marine Services, Loch Duart Ltd, LCL Shipping Ltd and Mowi Scotland. Without you, the UK Boccia Championships would not have been possible.

If you missed the championships or would be interested in catching up on some of the action, you can watch the livestream from court three: day one and day two.

16/11/2024

Day 1 Review: UK Boccia Championships 2024

The Scots put on a good show on the opening day of the UK Boccia Championships

Day one of the UK Boccia Championships got off to a great start, with the Scottish contingency racking up several wins in the pool stages.

Here’s an overview of how the seven Scots got on –

BC2

Kayleigh Brown 1 – 3 v Luke Walsh, 6 – 5 v Jason Rolph, 6 – 1 v Tomas Martin.

Alex Medley 2 – 7 James Clowes, 11 – 1 v Sian Jones, 0 – 11 v Reshad Seraj

BC3

Patrick Wilson 8 – 4 v Mark Roderick, 3 –3 v Lee Croker (tiebreak).

BC4

Stephen McGuire 17 – 0 v Harrison Smith, 19 – 0 Lewis Crawford, 7 – 2 v Tyler McLelland.

Tyler McLelland 8 – 2 Lewis Crawford,10 – 1 v Harrison Smith.

Paul McIntyre 2 – 4 Louis Saunders, 10 – 0 Scott McIntyre.

Scott McIntyre 0 – 4 v Louis Saunders.

The competition will resume on Sunday 17th November, with play-off games followed by semifinals, finals A and B.

You can follow the action live on the SDS website via the live results page and livestream (available Sunday morning), as well as seeing behind-the-scenes content posted across the SDS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and X).

Useful documents –

UK Boccia Championships 2024 Competition Guide

Saturday 16th November 2024 schedule.

Sunday 17th November 2024 schedule.

To view the Live Scoring document click here.

15/11/2024

Scotland Host UK Boccia Championships at Prestigious Inverclyde Venue

Scotland welcomes the best of British boccia for the UK Championships this weekend (16-17 November), at sportscotland’s national training centre in Inverclyde.

For Paralympic gold medallist, Stephen McGuire (BC4, Hamilton), it is the first time competing since his golden moment at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the summer. The world number one will be looking to continue his winning ways on home soil.

“The UK Championships is the showcase event in our domestic calendar. I’m super excited to be competing, especially in Scotland”, said Stephen.

He continued to say: “It’s always great to see the development of athletes coming through to challenge us athletes on the World Class Programme. Last year’s UK Championships saw all Talent Transition Squad athletes reach the podium. This demonstrates excellent depth within the UK and we will all need to perform well to reach the podium once again.”

Fellow Paralympians Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo, BC2, Ayrshire) and Patrick Wilson (BC3, Lothian) will also be in action on the courts, joined by Scots Tyler McLelland (BC4, Fife), Alex Medley (BC2, Perth and Kinross) and brothers Scott and Paul McIntyre (BC4, Forth Valley).

The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd MSP, visited Inverclyde on Friday (15th) to offer her best wishes to Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) ahead of competition starting on Saturday morning, as well as fitting in a quick game of boccia with Stephen.

Stephen McGuire and Maree Todd playing a boccia game at Inverclyde — Maree Todd MSP enjoying a game of boccia with Paralympian Stephen McGuire

The Minister expressed her great admiration for the sport and highlighted the impact that boccia can have in communities across Scotland.

“Boccia is the most amazing sport. It’s really inclusive and accessible”, said Ms Todd.

“Boccia provides an opportunity for everyone. Everyone can join in with boccia, that’s part of the beauty. But for some of our people who have complex disabilities, there are real challenges getting involved in physical activities. So it [boccia] is a competitive sport that is open to everyone.”

The Minister also praised Inverclyde as being a premier accessible venue in the UK, that prides itself being the first UK residential sports centre of its kind – designed for inclusivity.

“It’s absolutely vital. Without accessible venues these competitions can’t happen. There’s no hassle in this venue and it is really welcoming to absolutely everyone who wants to play sport. And it shows with a little bit of thought and a little bit of planning, a little bit of work with the community, what can be achieved and I want more of that all over Scotland. All over the UK, so that all of our athletes can have the chance to compete”, said Maree Todd MSP.

Kayleigh Brown – who recently just got married to sports assistant Kevin – also returns to the court following her Paralympic debut in Paris:

“It’s been really busy since Paris – we got married, we’ve been on honeymoon and we have moved house – so I haven’t been able to train much but I’m really looking forward to this weekend. It’s always a great competition which brings the four nations together and gives me the opportunity to compete for Scotland. It’s brilliant to see a high number of entries and I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

Whilst the UK Championships is the first event of the 2028 Paralympic cycle, with some athletes’ sights set on LA 2028, the championships provides a fantastic opportunity for Scotland to showcase the best of boccia.

You can follow the action live on the SDS website via the live results page and livestream (link available soon), as well as seeing behind-the-scenes content posted across the SDS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and X).

29/10/2024

The Positive Impact and Support Network Carers Provide

By William Moncrieff, Communications Co-ordinator

Sport means something different for everyone that participates. For Innes Martin, sport gives him an opportunity to socialise and express himself. Innes is a 33-year-old boccia player from Perth and Kinross, with cerebral palsy and a learning disability. He receives support from a dedicated group of carers in and out with sport.

Innes has now been playing boccia for around 14 years. This is something that wouldn’t be possible without the support of his carers and family. Innes attends two boccia sessions a week, accompanied by a carer.

“They [carers] help me throw the ball and once I’ve thrown it, they pick it up. I wouldn’t be able to play boccia without the support of my carers”, said Innes.

Aran, one of Innes’ carers commented: “We try to give him as little support as he needs. Mainly we fetch and reach things for him, as that is the hardest part, but we aim to give him the independence to do it himself.”

Although Innes and his carers see sport as a great opportunity to develop independence, the social element plays a large part for Innes. “Sport is a great opportunity for Innes to get out and become more social”, said Aran.

Innes added to this, saying: “Without sport I would be stuck, stuck without any friends.”

Joining Innes at his regular boccia sessions has allowed the carers to become quite invested in his boccia development. Some have even got involved: “Sometimes I join in, it’s good fun. We can go against each other or be a team, we tend to push each other”, said Aran.

Innes’s carers have always enjoyed going with him to boccia and seeing him grow and develop. Aran said: “When he leaves [the boccia sessions], he’s happy and proud, it’s a boost in confidence. It’s really nice to see him do well.”

There have been many learnings throughout the Martin family’s journey. Consequently, they started Strathern Building Bridges. This charity that they set up is to, “promote integration throughout their community”, Wilma (Innes’ mother) said.

One way they achieve this, “was through getting our members involved in sporting opportunities”said Wilma.

SDS’ Regional Development Manager for the Perth and Kinross area, Graeme Doig, is heavily involved with the charity. He said, “I’ve known Innes and his carers for a number of years, initially through boccia and then through the work I do with Strathearn Building Bridges to help bring disability sport opportunities to rural Perthshire. Throughout this journey, his carers have been instrumental in supporting him to attend, enjoy and progress in a variety of sports and meet new people. Their encouraging and supportive approach has benefited Innes to get and stay active through sport and physical activity.”

The charity hosts many other groups including social clubs and groups that are designed to develop independence and living skills.

“We also run a session on a Monday night which a lot of Innes’ friends who have a learning disability attend”, Wilma added.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in sport and physical activity throughout Perth and Kinross. More information about the sessions offered at the Strathearn Building Bridges can be found here.

To find out more about how you can get active in your local area, contact your Regional Development Manager.

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) on Facebook, X and Instagram. Keep up-to-date with the latest news 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

15/10/2024

Dundee Hosts Discovery Games and Boccia Engagement Soars

September was a busy month for boccia with competitions, Parasport festivals and courses spread throughout the month.

Discovery Games

The Discovery Games were held at Dundee International Sport Complex (DISC). It was a busy day with 63 players across three sections. There were 37 Female players and 26 Males which lead to over 110 games being played over 12 courts. A successful day made possible by the many volunteer helpers and officials making the day run smoothly.

Congratulations to the medallists in each section, the medallists were: –

Section A

1^st Paul McIntyre
2^nd Fiona Muirhead
3^rd Scott McIntyre

Section B

1st Zoe Irving
2nd Eleanor Little
3rd Kate Burton

Section C

1st Ross MacNeil
2^nd Becky Tyler
3^rd Ellie Maclaren

Well done everyone who competed and a thank you to Dundee City Disability Sport for making it happen.

Boccia at the Motability Big Event on Friday and Saturday

Over the 13^th and 14^th of September Scottish Disability sport was an exhibitor at the Motability event held at the royal highland show. Boccia was one of the activities that were on offer throughout both days. This offering allowed new people to experience boccia and play the sport. As a result of this fantastic day boccia has been experienced and introduced to even more people.

National Boccia Day

On Friday the 27^th of September was National Boccia Day. Scottish Disability Sport focused on the aspect of communities that boccia can create. It was fantastic to see how many branches, clubs and people got involved on the day sharing all their stories of what boccia means to them and their community on social media.

Boccia at Parasport festivals in Aberdeen and Fort William.

It is that time of year again when parasport festivals start. There were two Parasport festivals in September. One in Aberdeen and the other in Fort William. Both Parasport festivals had an offering of boccia for their participants. This allowed people to experience boccia, some for the very first time, and introduce them to the sport. Many different games and challenges and lots of fun was had by participants. With some looking to find boccia opportunities now in their area.

Boccia Officials Course

This year SDS had to put on a second Boccia officials course due to a high demand. This course was held in Dundee and had 8 people on the course. After the course, the delegates will need to officiate at one event to be fully qualified. This is fantastic news as more officials will allow more events to happen. Without officials there would be no competitions. Thank you to everyone who signed up and completed the course. The future of boccia in Scotland is looking strong with more officials getting qualified to allow more competitions to happen throughout Scotland.

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.

10/09/2024

SDS Works with SQA to Make PE Qualifications More Accessible to Disabled School Pupils

With the Paris 2024 Paralympics having recently completed, SQA has published new guidance outlining the steps schools and colleges can take to help make its National Physical Education qualifications more accessible to learners with physical disabilities.

Working with Scottish Disability Sport, SQA has updated the list of activities young people can be assessed in as part of their PE qualifications at National 3 through to Advanced Higher level.

The guidance issued to schools and colleges confirms that Boccia can be used by candidates with profound physical disabilities, while those with severe visual impairment can be assessed playing Goalball.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport that involves throwing, kicking, or rolling a ball towards a target ball on a court. Boccia is designed to test muscle control and accuracy and is ideal for wheelchair users who play while seated.

Goalball is a team sport developed for blind or visually impaired players, in which a ball containing bells makes a sound when thrown at a goal at the opposing team’s end of the court.

SQA worked with Scottish Disability Sport to produce the updated guidance after it received feedback from teachers across the country asking for more to be done to enable disabled learners to study National Qualifications in PE. The update is part of SQA’s ongoing maintenance of its courses, and the views of teachers and learners are an important part of the review process.

Layla McCloskey, a pupil from Barrhead High School, who is undertaking Boccia as part of her National 5 Physical Education course said: ‘I’m so pleased that I’m able to take part in PE this year. I’ve been playing Boccia for a while now, and it’s great that I can do it as part of my qualification. I’m looking forward to having my performance assessed and showing what I can do.’

Mags Paterson, Head of Creative, Hospitality, and Sport at SQA, said: ‘Sport is for everyone, and our ambition is to make Physical Education courses available to as wide a range of learners as we can. By collaborating with Scottish Disability Sport, we’ve provided teachers with the information they need to make sure they are assessing learners’ performance correctly to make sure they’re reaching the appropriate standard for the course.’

‘With the Paralympics now underway in Paris, young people across the country will take inspiration from athletes with a range of disabilities competing in sport at the highest level. We want to ensure that learners like Layla can continue their PE journey as far as they can and receive qualifications that recognise their abilities and achievements.’

Alison Shaw, Education and Learning Manager at Scottish Disability Sport, added: ‘This is a real, tangible step in giving young people with physical disabilities the chance to continue their sporting journey into their senior years at school and beyond. By giving schools and teachers guidance on how they can support their learners with physical disabilities, we can foster lifelong connections with sport and physical activity, and we may even develop future Paralympians along the way.’

The updated guidance, and more information on our National Qualifications in PE, can be found here.

03/09/2024

The Medals Keep Coming as Scots Take Gold in the Pool and Silver on the Athletics Track on Day 6

Faye Rogers Wins Paralympic Gold on her Games Debut and it’s a Second Silver for Sammi in Paris.

Faye Rogers produced a stunning swim in the pool on day six of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The 21-year-old put in a terrific performance in the women’s 100m butterfly S10 to take the title of Paralympic champion on her Games debut.

Faye made her intentions clear in the morning, when she clocked 1:05.92 in the heats – just 0.5 off her own European Record.

Whilst the final was harder work, the Scot backed herself as she turned for the final 50m in second place behind teammate Callie-Ann Warrington. She edged ahead with 25m to go and touched the wall first with a time of 1:05.84.

In 2021 she was involved in a car accident which squashed her Olympic dreams. Nearly three years to the day since that accident, she can now call herself a Paralympic champion.

“It’s a big full circle moment and I couldn’t be prouder of how far I’ve come. I couldn’t have asked for more from the last three years”, said Faye.

She went on to say: “Coming into Para sport has been the best thing, I couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and I have learned so much about myself. I’ve started getting messages off people in similar situations and it makes me so proud and grateful that my experiences are helping other people. There are so many people who could benefit from Para sport, it’s just amazing.”

“There are always days it feels like it’s never going to get any better but it does. There’s always a way to adapt to stuff and overcome stuff. I’ve found over the last three years there’s nothing I can’t do, it might just look a little bit different, and that’s absolutely OK. It has been such a whirlwind and I couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile on the Para athletics track – Sammi Kinghorn stormed to silver in the women’s 1500m T54, to claim the first of the two medals won today (3rd).

It’s a second silver for the Scot in Paris, adding to her 800m T53 medal won on Sunday 1st.

“Who would have thought a sprinter would get a medal over 1500m, I certainly did not. I thought I’d be jostling for fourth, maybe squeeze a third”, said Sammi.

The wheelchair racer clocked a time of 3:16.01 to seal the silver.

The 28-year-old said: “I kinda got a bit disorientated and I stopped at 200m to go because I thought we were done – it’s so loud in here which we’re not used to. So I learned I need to count laps. But that noise is absolutely electric and I’m absolutely buzzing to come away with a medal.”

Sammi continued to say, “You really just have to put yourself out there – there’s some strong, strong athletes in there. To beat Susanna [Scaroni, bronze medallist] has blown my mind and to be able to sit on the back wheel of Catherine is incredible.”

Teammate Melanie Woods put in a superb effort in a packed final to finish eighth with a time of 3:23.37. The 30-year-old from Glasgow, sang her teammates praises after the race:

“I train with Sammi so much throughout the year and to see her hard work turn into medals is so exciting and gives me hope that I can make the podium one day. It’s inspirational to see what she’s achieving out there.”

Gordon Reid and partner Alfie Hewett came head-to-head with the Netherlands Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten Ter Hofte in the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles.

Games were close and fiercely contested but Gordon and Alfie rallied through to secure the win, 6-2, 6-1.

“We came out firing right from the start and we produced some of our best stuff at the beginning of the match. That settled us down early and in the second set they raised their level and tested us a lot more. There were a lot of long games that we came out on top of and it was a really good test going into the next match”, said Gordon.

Day seven will be particularly busy for the 32-year-old Scot as he will compete in both the men’s singles quarterfinal and doubles seminfinal.

The current order of play sees him playing his singles semifinal against Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez at 11am BST, before he joins Alfie to play the doubles semifinal against home favourites Stephane Houdet and Frederic Cattaneo in the late afternoon.

On facing the French, the Scot commented: “We’re just really excited to come up against them. It was one of our dreams before the tournament to come up against the local favourites. We’ve got big singles matches first in the morning to deal with but once they’re over with, we’ll be ready to go.”

Stephane Houdet was in the men’s doubles pair that won gold at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, defeating Gordon and Alfie in both finals. Both Gordon and Alfie will be hoping that it’ll be third time lucky for them in Paris.

It was a tough start for the mixed team BC1/BC2, who suffered a 13-1 loss in their opening pool game against the People’s Republic of China. The mixed team, who is made up of Scotland’s Kayleigh Haggo, Claire Taggart and David Smith, had the challenge of resetting and refocusing before they took on Portugal in the evening pool match.

The trio produced the goods in a tightly fought game, winning 5-4 to advance to tomorrow’s quarterfinals where they will play Indonesia at 11:50am.

“It was really nerve-wracking, especially after the result this morning, so I’m so happy we got the win”, said Kayleigh following the win.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.