The Changing TIMES The newsletter of Leading the development of sport in Scotland for people of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability Scots Triumph on Global Stage September 2009 Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) teams and athletes have always enjoyed success on the international stage In this Issue… and this year has been no different for Scotland’s leading athletes with a learning disability. Allan Stuart EVENTS AND REPORTS (athletics), Craig Rodgie (swimming) and Scott Walker (cycling) headed to Academy Athletes showing Liberec, Czech Republic as part of the lots of promise 2 GB Team for the INAS-FID Global Games from 5th – 14th July 2009. Athletics Update 3 There were exceptional individual performances, Allan Stuart in Scotland’s Boccia players particular won gold medals in both enjoy success in Europe 4 the 200m (22.28) and 400m (50.11) and silver in the 100m (11.35). Allan CP Footballers prepare from Glasgow continues to achieve on the international stage demonstrating for Holland 5 the form and quality which won him Summer Sports Camp a Paralympic medal in Sydney in 2000. As a West of Scotland Institute of John Kinder who travelled with the shows up new stars 6 Sport athlete he receives a number of squad as part of the coaching team and Focus on Talent ID support services which compliment his assisted with the cycling and athletics training and competition programme. program respectively. 7 Craig Rodgie from Fife and Carnegie Overall the talented 25 strong British International Bowls Test Swimming Club performed Team managed and selected by the UK Match in Kirkcaldy 8 tremendously well in the relay Sports Association for People with a competition returning home with four Learning Disability returned home with ‘Challenge to Change’ medals and a world record. Rodgie, 8 gold, 9 silver and 7 bronze medals, Conference 9 an SDS Academy Athlete, won gold in together with 1 world record and a the 4 x 100m medley relay in world number of personal bests. Athletes Profile record time before claiming gold in 11 the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. He later Recently recognised by the added silver in the 4 x 50m freestyle International Paralympic Committee, BRANCH NEWS and 4 x 50m medley relays. Later this the Global Games was an important year Craig will travel to Iceland with event for British athletes. The ban on the British Swimming Team to compete athletes with intellectual disabilities Sport hits new heights in in the IPC European Championships in competing in the Paralympic Games, Aberdeenshire 12 Reykjavik. imposed after Sydney 2000 continues although progress is being made. Disability Fife Aberdeenshire’s Scott Walker was Changes to the classification system Developments 14 also making his first international are underway and the IPC decision appearance and competed in a number on inclusion in London 2012 is Lothian has lots to offer! of cycling events. After a difficult expected in November 2009. SDS is 17 start, over an unfamiliar distance, fully supportive of the reinstatement Scott eventually showed his quality of events for athletes with a learning Bowls and Awards in winning bronze in the Team Time Trial, a disability into the Paralympic North and South Ayrshire 19 fantastic achievement for the Inverurie programme and will continue to rider in his first performance as part support Scotland’s leading athletes Key SDS contacts of the GB Team. Adding to the Scottish where appropriate. 20 contingent were Colin Duncan and Events and Reports Academy Athlete’s Excel Again The SDS Athlete Academy (Academy) has continued to dedication and application of all athletes towards their training support the development of our most promising athletes and competition programmes. Whilst SDS acknowledges the throughout the past year. The Academy aims to provide successes of all its athletes, there is a number of notable and athletes with support and guidance as significant achievements worth highlighting; they look to progress on a performance Colette Martin and Robert Ferrol travelled to pathway. The level of support provided varies the 2009 DSE National Junior Championships depending on the needs of the athlete and in Blackpool. Colette won three gold medals sport involved but looks to supplement and including a new Championship record whilst enhance an athletes exiting program. Robert won two silver and one bronze. Encouragingly, a number of new athletes Craig Rodgie was selected by Great Britain to have demonstrated performance potential swim at the INAS-FID Global Games. Craig over the past year within their chosen sport. returned home with two gold, one silver, one In addition to the ten athletes inducted bronze and a world record. in the Academy’s first year, seven further athletes from the sports of boccia and Scott McCowan was selected by GB swimming have now been identified as having Boccia to take part in the 2009 European met the appropriate criteria for selection. Championships in Portugal. Scott took part in Those athletes are; Joshua Rowe, Scott the BC3 Singles performing extremely well in McCowan and Jamie McCowan in boccia, Jack his first International competition. McComish, Lucy Walkup, James Clegg and Once again, SDS acknowledges the invaluable Arran Ritchie in swimming. support and contribution provided by the Excitingly, this year saw the first Academy coaches, clubs, families and branches of all 2 athlete make the transition onto a World Class Programme. Academy athletes. The significant and dedicated support of Kevin Simpson’s excellent performances in the lead up these key individuals has no doubt contributed to the excellent to Beijing saw him rewarded with a place on the Tennis performances by these athletes. Foundation’s World Class Development squad. As London and Glasgow creep another year closer it’s more SDS is delighted to note that each of these athletes has important than ever for SDS to work closely with it’s talented continued to perform exceptionally well on the National and athletes to ensure they have the best possible opportunity to International stage this season. This success is credit to the achieve their sporting goals and targets. Leicester Hosts GB Games On Saturday 25th July, 2,400 athletes exceptionally supportive in In addition to the athletes with learning disabilities from across their efforts. taking part, the city of Great Britain arrived in Leicester to Leicester also welcomed A host of celebrities celebrate the start of the 8th Special over 1,200 coaches, 6,000 supported the athletes Olympics GB National Summer Games. families and over 1,500 during Games Week. The Held every four years, the National volunteers. Nineteen athletes were joined at Summer Games provides a week venues across the region the Opening Ceremony of sports competition for learning hosted sporting events, by Sarah Brown, wife of disabled athletes across the country. with Leicester City Football the Rt Hon Prime Minister Over 21 sports were represented Club the setting for the Gordon Brown and Tim during the Leicester Games with Games Village and the Shriver, Chairman of Special activities taking place across a variety Universities of De Montfort Olympics and son of Eunice of sporting venues in the city between and Leicester housing the Kennedy Shriver who 25th - 31st July. athletes during Games week. founded Special Olympics Scottish Special Olympics athletes in the USA in the 1960s. Following the huge success and coaches have been training and Other celebrity supporters included of the Glasgow National Summer preparing for the National Games for Lawrie McMenemy MBE, Chairman of Games in 2005, the eight Scottish the last two years. Fundraising for the Special Olympics GB, Games Patron regions sent around 800 athletes and team has been a huge task, but, team Martin Johnson and Special Olympics 200 coaches to the Games in Leicester. members and their families have been GB ambassador Ossie Ardiles. Events and Reports Athletics Update There was a fantastic end to the 2008 introduced with co-ordinators appointed Track and Field season with Libby Clegg in each new region. For the North – taking the sliver medal at the Summer Charlie Forbes, East – John de Courcy, Paralympic Games in Beijing in the T12 West – Janice Eaglesham and a new 100m final in a time of 12.51 seconds. Wheelchair Squad – Ian Mirfin. In May the This year Libby was part of the GB Team whole squad met at Crownpoint along competing at the BT Paralympic World with some new athletes resulting from Cup in Manchester, where she took the the SDS Talent ID Days. The wheelchair gold medal in the 100m in 12.78seconds squad met during March and invited Ian and was 3rd in the 200m in 26.57seconds. Thompson to come along and work a row. In the lead up to the final, six Local on pushing techniques. There was also Cross Country Authorities ran Sporthall events and four a weekend camp which was held during The cross country season started back SDS Branches ran regional finals to pick a August in Inverness. in November with the first matches of team for the national event. At this year’s Scottish Athletics National the east and west series. The number Track & Field Senior Championships a 100m and 200m of entries for these events was very wheelchair race was held and this event healthy with 152 athletes attending the The season seems to be starting earlier was made more special for the athletes three east events and a massive 735 every year and it was encouraging to when they were presented with their athletes attending the events in the west. see regional events in Fife, Forth Valley, medals by Oscar Pistorius. On the Friday The season came to a close with the Glasgow, Highland, Lothian, and Tayside evening prior to the Championships there SDS National Championships help at attracting good numbers.