After the busy time of Christmas, I wanted to look back at what has been a significant year of change for both myself and Disability Sport Wales. After retiring from competing through injury I was honoured to become the new Chair of the organisation and I joined a new and really diverse board. As a Board, we really want to build on the amazing work that the outgoing Board members have done. They have worked tirelessly for Disability Sport Wales and have laid all the groundwork for the ambitious challenges we have set ourselves through to the end of 2020 to continue to transform the lives of disabled people through sport. So much thanks should be given to them and I was really delighted to see Gareth John MBE being elected as the first President of Disability Sport Wales, supported by Jim Munkley MBE and Lance Osgood as our first Vice Presidents – I think they make a really inspiring Presidential team
We’ve all been really busy over the last five months as we have got up to speed with the business of Disability Sport Wales and we have had fantastic support from all the staff in the office to help us with this. Thanks should go to them, but in fact, in our organisation, thanks should go to so many people every year. Without the support of our local authority and national governing body partners, national disability sports organisations, clubs, volunteers and supporters we would not have been able to achieve so many encouraging results – so thank you all!
All local authorities, 19 National Governing Bodies of Sport and 249 clubs have all made progress on our Insport Programme and the programme is making a real difference to create inclusion in the heart of Welsh sport. It means that the Sector is now delivering more opportunities, in more locations for more disabled people than ever before and that can only be good news for everyone in our Nation.
We had some good news too from the Sport Wales School Sport Survey 2015 which showed a significant increase in the number of disabled pupils being ‘hooked on sport’ - we still have a gap behind non-disabled pupils but we are committed to closing that and doing the same in Further Education where disabled students lag behind their non-disabled peer group by a greater margin. We are working to introduce a number of pilots with Welsh Colleges Sport in 2016 to begin to bridge this gap, so watch this space.
In health, our Health Disability Sport Partnership with Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board has seen over 510 healthcare professionals attending sessions to help signpost disabled to physical activity and sport- it has increased the overall participation rate for North Wales by nearly 5% so a great result.
This is just one of the exciting projects we have been involved in and another, the Swansea 2014 legacy programme, ‘Inclusive Futures’, is breaking new ground, bringing disabled and non-disabled young people together to volunteer in local sport activities. We will be establishing a National Young People’s Forum in 2016 so this is giving us some really great learning opportunities too.
I was lucky enough to attend our Arriva Trains Wales Wheelchair Sports Spectacular this year - over 500 disabled people of all ages and ability levels attended and had a go at over 20 sports with a range of adapted equipment. If you get the chance, you should really go along next year and see what is happening. The two days, supported by our official community partner Arriva Trains Wales, Cardiff Bay Rotary Club, the local authorities from across South East Wales and many local clubs is a really exciting and inspiring event.
A review of the year would not be complete without mentioning our sporting stars and over the past twelve months and with the support of our official Academy partner General Dynamics UK our talent programme has unearthed some rising stars. We hope they will go on to join those already in the Academy programme and those already competing at the highest level.
Welsh athletes have had some amazing success in 2015. I don’t have space to mention everybody, but many congratulations to all who competed internationally this year.
In para-table tennis, in the European Championships, Rob Davies retained his European title and Tom Matthews (another product of the Academy system), partnered him to the team event gold in Denmark. Paul Karabardak was also another stand out player winning individual individual bronze and team silver. Along with Rob and Paul, Sara Head and Paul Davies have also qualified through their ranking places for Rio 2016 slots.
I was lucky enough to visit the Wheelchair basketball European Championships this year and saw Wales’s Phil Pratt compete for the GB Senior Team in the winning Gold. Claire Strange won Bronze with the Women’s team in the same competition. Domestically, the Welsh Under 23s won the Celtic Cup for the first time, the Under 15s & Under 19s finishing in their highest ever placing in the National Junior League, whilst the Under 19s finished 4th in the UK School Games, again their highest position ever. Whilst we are on the subject of wheelchair basketball, huge congratulations go to the Cardiff Celts who won promotion to the National Division 1 league.
In Wheelchair Rugby Jim Roberts, played a major part in GB winning the IWRF European Championships in Finland. I am confident that with the further development of the Ospreys and Dragons Wheelchair Rugby Clubs more players will soon follow Jim’s lead.
In Boccia senior athletes were on the GB team for the European Continental Cup and Jacob Thomas won Gold in his individual event. Martin Davis became British Champion, Jacob gained silver and Robert Morgan took 4th, in their respective classes.
When people think of sport, athletics is often at the forefront and this year was no exception. Wales had 10 athletes selected for the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, and they won 5 medals between them. Some amazing results all round.
On the water, in sailing, Steve Thomas became World Champion at the Para Sailing World Championships and Fran Bateman, competed in the Para-Canoe World Championships coming away with a silver medal.
Whilst we may have missed out again on a white Christmas, Menna Fitzpatrick has found plenty of snow winning a number of Visually Impaired Skiing international races, including a European Open event and is currently ranked world No 2. All bodes well for her development as she races towards the 2018 Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Disability Bowls achieved success in the UK Visually Impaired singles winning gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals and in December John Wilson, Team Manager, won the Sport Wales/BBC Sport Wales Coach to Disabled People 2015. If you didn’t see his humble acceptance speech – search it out on iPlayer – he summed up so much of what is good about Welsh sport.
Within deaf sport, Emily Noden secured a bronze medal and six individual records at the Deaf World Swimming Championships. The Welsh Deaf Rugby squad enjoyed another successful year, not only beating England but also winning a two test series against South Africa 2-0, the hard way, away from home.
We also had amazing success at the Special Olympics World Games, Los Angeles and I was privileged to attend the homecoming of the seven Welsh Special Olympics athletes (Lloyd Crawley, Matthew Allen, Kay Paynter, Andrew Williams, Adrian Abbot, James Savoury and Stephen Beynon) who won between them an amazing 12 medals, including 3 gold!
It has been an exciting year and I’m sure that 2016 is going to be amazing too – we have Rio Paralympic Games to look forward to along with a host of other events. I can’t wait!
I want to close by thanking everyone who makes all this possible – I truly believe we are well on the way to being one of the most inclusive sporting nations in the World, where disabled people are truly hooked on sport and where producing champions in sport is just what we do!
Happy New Year!
Pippa Britton Chair Disability Sport Wales
