By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer.
Ian Hepworth, a 54-year-old from Aberdeen, has experienced a remarkable journey through sport—one that spans volunteering and coaching across both national and international stages. Now serving as Chair of the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) member branch, Grampian Disability Sport, Ian has gained countless opportunities through his involvement. Yet, above all, the most profound impact sport has had on his life is the positive effect on his mental health.
Having grown up in Australia, Ian became familiar with mental health challenges early in life, having personally experienced depression. From a young age, he found solace in lawn bowls—a sport he took to enthusiastically, reaping the psychological benefits that regular physical activity can offer.
However, when Ian moved over to Scotland he didn’t join a club or continue to play the sport. “The biggest mistake I made, was not joining a bowling club when I moved over to Scotland,” he said.
“I waited around four or five years before I joined a club and suddenly, I was made to feel so welcome into the club, I think the transition and moving across to Scotland would have been a lot easier.”
Throughout his life Ian has been a keen volunteer and has devoted a lot of time and effort to ensuring that individuals have as many opportunities to take part in sport as possible. Through his volunteering, Ian has found himself coaching a lot of learning disability bowls and is currently the Head Coach for Learning Disability Bowls Scotland. This work that he has done in bowls, has resulted in Ian being involved in boccia and subsequently becoming the Chair for SDS member branch Grampian Disability Sport.
Ian recognises the role that sport is playing in his life, saying: “Sport has become very important and a facet of everyday life for myself.”
Ian believes that his experiences navigating mental health, has helped him when he is in his volunteering and coaching roles. “It’s certainly something I do in a coaching environment, making it that safe space, that if someone wants to talk, they feel okay to do that.”
He continued to say, “For me, it brings a lot of understanding to the board.”
Ian has found the sport of bowls to be very mindful, saying: “For me it’s a focus. When I am on that bowling green, when I am stood on that mat, I am thinking about what I am going to do next.”
Ian recognises the positive impact getting active and playing bowls can have on his mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, sport has helped Ian create an identity throughout his ongoing challenges with mental health. “I’ll never let it control who I am, even if it is part of who I am,” said Ian.
Furthermore, Ian enjoys the social aspects of playing bowls. “The club that I bowl at have been quite supportive, they are good at saying ‘you’re not yourself today, do you want a quick chat? How’s things?’. If it wasn’t for the friendships, the conversations that I have with people at bowling clubs and within other sports, I wouldn’t always have that focus.”
Ian is now pleased to see clubs, coaches, organisations and volunteers identifying new and creative methods to introduce individuals into sports, with a possibility for them to be impacted both psychologically and physiologically. He said, “Something I could have definitely seen helping myself, are the boccia and blether sessions.”
Ian reflected on his journey with mental health and the transformative role sport has played in his life.
He said: “Mindfulness and mindset go together. I think that can be really powerful and I think that is one of the reasons why sport brought me through depression.”
“Sport keeps me going, it gives me focus.”
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.