David and Sue’s story will be told in a film celebrating The National Lottery’s investment in sport and looking at the legacy of how 2012 is inspiring the next generation, during the National Lottery Stars 2013 at 10.35pm on BBC1 this Weds 11th September.
Both husband and wife competed for Wales and Britain in wheelchair field events - Sue in shot put and javelin, and David in shot put. He won a silver medal in the F54 shot put category at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic games.
After the games both Dai and Sue gave up competitive sport to focus on starting and raising a family, and they now have two children, Tegwen aged 10 and Aeron aged 8, and live in Ponterwyd, Aberystwyth.
Last year, in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic games, they caught the sport bug again and were inspired to come back to competitive wheelchair sport.
They read about the launch of a new wheelchair basketball team, the West Coast Warriors. They met Gemma Cutter, Disability Sport Wales’ Ceredigion officer and local coaches Lee Coulson and Martin Lansley at the launch session. They now train once a week at Penglais school hall, and there are plans to develop this further by starting the first ever mid Wales league.
Both Dai and Sue play in the team, along with their children, and Dai says eight year old Aeron is becoming a very good blocker. It’s been a great way for them to get back into sport and to spend time with their family at the same time.
Dai believes that the inspiration of seeing how the whole of the UK reacted to the games last summer was the major factor in him getting back into sport. Playing sport again has bought back Dai’s competitive spirit, and he’s back to giving 100% to his sport in order to succeed.
Disability Sport Wales, which was a runner up for this year’s Best Sport Project in The National Lottery Awards, uses National Lottery funding to help disabled people across Wales achieve their dreams through sport. The scheme works with local authorities across Wales to offer over one million sporting opportunities for disabled children and adults, building their fitness, confidence and skills, and building the athletes of the future. Gemma is employed by Ceredigion County Council to develop sporting opportunities across the county.
Over £5 million of National Lottery funding has allowed Disability Sport Wales to create ten times as many opportunities for disabled people to participate in sport across Wales.
Twelve years ago just 31 clubs across Wales offered opportunities for disabled people to engage with sport in their local area. In 2001 there were merely 1,200 recorded opportunities for disabled people participating in sport. Thanks to the Lottery Funded Disability Sport Wales Community Programme, there were over 1 million opportunities in 2012, and those 31 sports clubs grew to 331 in 2012.
Lottery funding has paid for the training and salaries of the hard working and committed Development Officers who run the project at each local authority across Wales.
Gemma Cutter, Disability Sport Wales’ Ceredigion officer said: "It is important that we can support people to take part in sport and exercise – whether they are just starting out and trying sport for the first time, or they are rising through the competitive ranks and making an impact on the elite level. Investing in our future stars from an early age is really important.
"This is just one example of National Lottery funding making a difference - I’ve seen this first hand at grassroots level across rural, local communities and in clubs including this wheelchair basketball club."
Over £179 million of National Lottery funding has been invested in sport in Wales since the Lottery began in 1994.
National Lottery funding makes an impact at the grassroots and at the very top level of sport. As well as funding grassroots sports clubs like the West Coast Warriors which give young people the chance to develop their sporting potential, The National Lottery funds over 1,300 elite athletes, allowing them to compete and train full time to the highest international standards.
The National Lottery is continuing to invest in sport at all levels, supporting the next generation of athletes and grassroots sports projects around the country. National Lottery players raise over £35 million a week for Good Causes, more than £30 billion since the Lottery started in 1994.
For further information please contact: Jackie Aplin on 029 20678278/ 07917 791873 / jackie.aplin@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
