Paralympic News

Get ready for the 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup

One week till the launch of FREE TICKETS for Schools!

Welcome to the first BT Paralympic World Cup Schools Newsletter of 2011! The BT PWC is the largest annual international multi-sport competition in disability sport and will be taking place in Manchester at the end of May. Details of the 2011 event are due to be announced very soon and following on from the success of 2010 there will be some even more exciting elements this year.

We are please to let you know that our ‘free tickets for schools’ offer will be going live on February 21st so don’t forget to put the date in your diary! We will send another email closer to the time, but remember when you apply you will need the code you were sent originally, then just visit www.btparalympicworldcup.com and follow the instructions carefully to apply for up to 25* free tickets for each event!

Along with the launch of free tickets for schools we will be launching our brand new website, with new resources and activities, created for teachers and students so make sure you check it out! For example in 2011 the BT PWC will be continuing the innovative Team Concept which saw athletes compete in one of four teams: Great Britain, Europe, Americas and Rest of the World. The Rest of the World won the inaugural BT PWC Trophy and will be coming back in 2011 to defend their title and we’ll have some ways that your class can get involved in supporting a team!

Students and schools also have the chance of winning some exciting prizes through competitions and quizzes on our new website. The first prize of the year is a signed t-shirt by one of our PWC athletes! To win just fill in our survey and we’ll announce the winning school in our March newsletter.

We’re also offering the chance to win a visit from a BT Paralympic World Cup athlete to your school to give the pupils a “Master Class” before they compete at the BT PWC and there is a load more to check out on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Don’t forget to mark February 21st on your calendars to apply for free tickets to attend the BT Paralympic World Cup.

We look forward to welcoming you to Manchester in May for the 2011 BT PWC!

Disability swimming talent search given London 2012 seal of approval

A swimming project that will give young people with physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities the chance to dream of Paralympic glory has been given the London 2012 seal of approval ahead of its launch.

Swim Links, led by the ASA, has been awarded the coveted London 2012 Inspire Mark, which officially recognises projects that have been inspired by the Games.

From March, the project will offer youngsters who are identified at school as having ‘higher swimming ability’ the chance to improve through extra swimming sessions thanks to the 20 Swim Links projects that will be taking place at venues across England.

Those who continue to shine can then have their skills officially assessed by the governing body during an ASA County Athlete Assessment Day to see if they are good enough to make a regional squad.

The project is linked to the National Playground to Podium framework, which literally takes talented children on a pathway from school to international competition.

Carole Barough, the ASA’s National Development Manager for Disability Swimming, said: “By attending the weekly sessions, swimmers will have access to high quality teaching and coaching, and will be able to learn the necessary skills in order to attend the Assessment Day.

“Not only will this help us to find the swimming stars of the future but it will also help to improve the athlete’s own development.”

Disability specific workshops and seminars have been offered to the staff who work or volunteer in the local clubs and leisure centres involved in Swim Links.

Sessions will take place between March and July, to link in with the 2011 Playground to Podium Calendar. Swim Links is open to any young swimmer with a physical, sensory or intellectual disability.

For further information on where the projects will be running (not all are yet confirmed) please email: disability@swimming.org or telephone: 01625 440434

Click here to return to the newsletter