Paralympic News

With 500 days to go until the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, business advisory firm Deloitte and charity SportsAid are announcing their ‘Podium Potentials’ – a group of disability athletes they believe have the potential to medal at London 2012 and beyond.

 

Each of the athletes is on the SportsAid-managed Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), and represent some of the country’s brightest medal hopes. Deloitte supports all disabled athletes on the scheme, and through it has provided more than 500 financial awards to athletes over the last five years.

 

The athletes come from all over the country and compete across eleven different sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, wheelchair fencing and disability snowsports.

 

One of the athletes, table tennis player Joe Stotesbury who is currently ranked 21 in the world said, “I still have a lot of work to do but to win a medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games would be a dream for me – it’s my next big goal.”

 

As well as being one of the UK’s top Paralympic table tennis players, Joe, who is originally from Bexley in Greater London, is currently studying a degree at Doncaster College. He added, “The funding and guidance I get from TASS helps me to live away from home, train full time and be serious about my table tennis. Without it I’d still be a hobby player.”

 

Matt Skelhon was supported by Deloitte through TASS when he reached the podium in Beijing and said: “The support I got from TASS earlier in my career made a huge difference and it’s great that the scheme continues to support disability athletes.

 

“Beijing was a phenomenal experience but competing in a home Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can’t wait. I’ve been working hard in the build up to 2012 and have had some good results recently so I really hope I can repeat some of my success from 2008 and hope the British public comes out in force to cheer on the team,” he added.

 

Catherine Bayley, Sponsorship Manager at Deloitte, said: “With just 500 days to go, the anticipation is beginning to build for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with the country hoping our Paralympic team can repeat the tremendous success in Beijing. However, TASS is not just about London, but also beyond. We hope some of our ‘Podium Potentials’ enjoy success next year, but others may have their eyes set on Rio, or in some cases, Sochi. We believe the legacy of our support will be seen at Games for many years to come.”

 

SportsAid’s Chief Executive, Tim Lawler, said: “The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme is unique and world-leading. Deloitte recognised the potential of the Scheme right from launch and have been superb partners. It is exciting to already be identifying athletes with genuine podium potential, but perhaps of more significance is the partnership having helped more than 500 talented athletes with a disability – it is transformational for disability sport.”

 

Deloitte’s 24 ‘Podium Potentials’ from TASS for 2012 and beyond are:

• Adrian Derbyshire, Wheelchair Tennis, from Warrington (Manchester Hub)
• Andrew Gardiner, Disability Shooting, from Oxfordshire (Oxford Hub)
• Anna Turney, Disability Snowsports, from Warwick (Birmingham Hub)
• Charlie Walker, Sitting Volleyball, from Aylesbury (St Marys Hub)
• Ciaran McMahon, Goalball, from Warrington (Manchester Hub)
• Craig McCann, Wheelchair Fencing, from Doncaster (Sheffield Hallam Hub)
• Emma Wiggs, Sitting Volleyball, from Chichester (St Marys Hub)
• Georgie Callingham Disability Shooting, from Buckinghamshire (2007-10, Sheffield Hallam Hub)
• Georgina Bullen, Goalball, from Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Hub)
• Jack Pegram, Disability Table Tennis, from Watford (Hertforshire Hub)
• Joe Stotesbury, Disability Table Tennis, from Bexley, Kent (Sheffield Hallam Hub)
• Jordan Raynes, Para Football, from Manchester (2007-9, Manchester Hub)
• Judith Hamer, Wheelchair Basketball, from Exeter (Exeter Hub)
• Kathryn Gallagher, Para Equestrian, from Nottingham (Nottingham Trent Hub)
• Krysten Coombs, Disability Table Tennis, from Totnes (Exeter Hub)
• Laurie Williams, Wheelchair Basketball, from Manchester (2007-10, Manchester Hub)
• Liam O’Reilly, Wheelchair Tennis, from Middlesex (St Marys Hub)
• Louise Hunt, Wheelchair Tennis, from Swindon (Bath Hub)
• Madeleine Thompson, Wheelchair Basketball, from Derbyshire (Sheffield Hallam Hub)
• Robert Richardson, Sitting Volleyball, from London (2009/10, St Marys Hub)
• Roxan Luckock, Powerlifting, from Northampton (Birmingham Hub)
• Sophie Wells, Para Equestrian, from Newark (2006-8, TASS2012)
• Tim Farr, Disability Snowsports, from Twickenham (St Marys Hub)
• Will Ramsay, Wheelchair Basketball, from Solihull (Bath Hub)

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Programme set to boost Paralympic Coaching

UK Sport has launched its first Paralympic-specific coach development initiative, in response to a common theme emerging from Paralympic sports via the Mission 2012 monitoring tool, which helps drive performance standards across all Olympic and Paralympic sports.

 

Following a period of consultation with the sports in question, who had highlighted a need for help in the area of development of the coaching workforce, UK Sport has devised a 12 month programme, which will combine a series of four workshops alongside bespoke individual development plans, aimed at coaches working with London 2012 medal potential sports and athletes.

 

The initial introductory session, held at UK Sport’s London based head office last week, invited the coaches, alongside the Performance Director or Manager from within their sport, to discuss the key qualities of an elite coach working in Paralympic sport and shared challenges over the coming months towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

 

UK Sport’s Director of Performance, Peter Keen, presented to the group on the theme of the ‘pursuit of excellence’, and said: “This group is going to make a significant impact on our medal success at the Paralympic Games in 2012, so when the need for development was highlighted to us via Mission 2012 we felt it was imperative to support them.

 

“Via this programme we can share some of the ‘gold standards’ we have identified within the system, as well as some tips, tools and techniques which can be put to good use immediately within the sports.

 

“The group will also now have an ongoing network of cross-sport support, and the opportunity to share valuable knowledge and expertise in the build up to the home Games.”

 

Garry Peel, a coach on the programme from GB Wheelchair Basketball, said: "It's a great opportunity for Paralympic coaches to meet and discuss their experiences and also to help each other in producing the best athletes in the world in preparation for London."

 

The workshop content will be tailored to meet the coaches needs, but are likely to include topics such as developing self awareness, as well as communication and practical skills such as planning, goal setting and time management.

 

The coaches present for the initial introductory session to the programme were as follows: Tim Hazell (Disability Archery), Neil Horsfield (Disability Archery), Sinclair Thomas (Wheelchair Basketball), Garry Peel (Wheelchair Basketball), Tom O’Connor (Wheelchair Rugby), Pasan Kularatne (Disability Target Shooting), Matt Kenny (Disability Table Tennis), Geraint Richards (Wheelchair Tennis), Stuart Wilkinson (Wheelchair Tennis), Keith Antoine (Disability Athletics).

 

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