Tag: mental health awareness week

Members of the young persons' sports panel and young start programme pose together for the camera at Inverclyde National Sports Centre.

YPSP on Mental Health Awareness Week

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and I have been talking to members of the SDS Young Persons’ Sports Panel about what mental health means to them.

The SDS YPSP is a group of 15 disabled young people who are committed and enthusiastic about disability sport. In our monthly meetings we discuss a wide range of topics, from events and inclusive sports to raising awareness and social media. Since Mental Health Awareness Week is the 11th to 17th of May, I thought it timely to chat about the importance of mental health awareness and acceptance.

When asked what mental health meant to them, the panel had some really insightful answers. “Keeping things positive and trying not to let things get on top of you,” said Calum, highlighting the importance of stress and mental health. When you have a lot of possibly tricky things happening in your life, it’s important to find ways to cope before the stress becomes overwhelming. “Do you want to focus on the negatives or the positives?” asked peer mentor, Caitlyn.

Another key insight from the group was that mental health effects everybody in many different ways. It can be about dealing with a mental health condition but also keeping positive in everyday life. As Hollie described, “it’s not just the bad bits but the good bits too and everything in the middle!”

The theme of this week, from the Mental Health Foundation (MHF), is taking action for yourself, for someone else, and for all of us. Through our discussions, we found that sport plays a crucial role in both personal mental health and helping others. Peer mentor Ross said it was important to “focus on yourself for a wee bit each day.” All the panel members agreed that their sport helped them to feel better. “If I’ve got something on my mind I’ll do my swimming” said Ruby. Calum also agreed, saying, “I go out for a run and write my feelings down.”

We also talked about the impact sport can have your mental health when it’s not going so smoothly. Calum talked about the pressure of competing and how he focuses on not burning himself out so much. I also believe that it is important to remember why you love your sport and make sure to protect that joy. Volunteering is a great way to do this, with Millie Boo saying, “it can be so rewarding for mental health.”

With many of our panel members volunteering in disability sport, we discussed what actions we can take to help the mental health of others too. “Give them time to talk to you or let them know you are there,” said Ruby, adding that she spreads encouragement and positivity to participants. You can never know what someone else is going through, so you should always be aware of how your actions can impact someone’s mental health.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, the MHF invites you to reflect on your actions for mental health, as we build “communities of motivated people [who] are laying the

foundations for a society that prioritises good mental health.” Whether you act for yourself of others, “it shows it’s okay not to be okay and no one is alone,” as Millie Boo told me. This is action at its most powerful.

 

Scottish Disability Sport are currently recruiting for the next intake of our Young Persons’ Sports Panel and Young Start coaching programmes. Applications for both programmes close on 22nd May 2026. To apply or find out more information, please visit: Young Start and Young Persons’ Sports Panel –

Alan Izzard about to shoot an arrow at an archery target

A Light in the Dark: Alan Izzard’s Fight Through Sport

“It’s like stepping out of the darkness and into the light.” 

By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.

Alan Izzard, a 54-year-old archer from Angus, Tayside, found a renewed sense of purpose through sport. A former member of the British Armed Forces, Alan’s life changed dramatically following a severe leg injury sustained during service, which eventually led to a below-knee amputation in 2022. Once an active and competitive individual, he faced not only the physical challenges of reduced mobility but also the psychological toll of PTSD, anxiety and depression. In 2018, while seeking new ways to stay engaged and active, Alan discovered archery—a sport that has since become a powerful tool in his recovery, helping him rebuild confidence and improve his mental well-being. 

Alan explained what it was like when he stopped taking part in exercise due to injury: “I was a runner, my specialty was 800 metres,1500 metres, 5k,10k and things like that, and when that got taken away from me through injury, I lost some of my identity.” 

Alan continued to explain how a chance encounter helped change his mindset around Para sport activities. “Somebody said to me, ‘you’re pushing your chair well’. They then said, ‘have you ever thought about doing adaptive sports?’.”  

This conversation resulted in Alan trying out multiple Para sport activities, as he felt a sense of acceptance and belonging. “He didn’t see me as somebody in a wheelchair, he just saw me as a potential athlete and that was massive for me,” said Alan. 

Alan and his family soon recognised the importance of sport and the benefits gained from being physically active. Alan explained, “There would be times when my wife would say, ‘right we’re going for a drive’, just to get me out of the house. She would literally drive me to the archery range, she would say, ‘you’re getting out in your wheelchair and you’re going to do some archery’.”  

“I can guarantee you, when she would turn up, I would be like, ‘can you give me another hour or can you give me another half hour’, it was massive, absolutely massive,” Alan said.  

Alan was selected to compete in the Warrior Games – a competition that takes place between members from the American Invictus Games training squad and other nations. 

Whilst competing in the Warrior Games, Alan travelled to Tampa Florida and Las Vegas, competing against a team made of ex US Air Force personnel. Alan said, “I’ve been very fortunate to go and do that and to come back with medals on both occasions.” 

Whilst on home soil, Alan has started competing in Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) National Championships. In November 2024, Alan entered the National Archery Championships and won silver in his category.  

“It was quite surreal really,” said Alan. 

“At the end, I was just packing up, having a drink, and then the announcement came out. I was pretty shocked that I had actually done that well. It was a nice surprise on a day that I wasn’t feeling absolutely good, it was really, really nice.” 

Reflecting on the impact sport has had on his life, he said: “Without sport, my previous 40 years of being a sportsman and serviceman, they sort of disappeared. Then the adaptive sports came in, and then I started feeling a bit more like I used to be.” 

He continued to say, “It gives me a bit of inner peace when I am doing my sports.” 

He went on to say: “It’s like stepping out of the darkness and into the light.” 

 

If you would be interested in finding out more about SDS and how sport and physical activity can support you, sign up to attend SDS’s first ever National Exhibition Event. The event is free and is being held at the University of Stirling on Saturday 14th June. The event will allow people from all over Scotland to interact with all elements of SDS in one place. 

You can also find out more about what sporting opportunities are available in your community by contacting your Regional Development Manager. To keep up-to-date on all of the ongoing work, make sure to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.