www.alltogethernow.org.uk
August/September 2009
All Together Now!
31
Hot wheels
Tennis dreams end
YOUNG athletes from Knowsley schools helped the North West to victory at the National Athletics for Disabled and Deaf Pupils championships at Blackpool. The cost of taking part in the weekend event was met by a grant, applied for by two of the pupils taking part - Laura Webb, from Kirkby Sports College, and Brendan Farrell, from Springfield Special School. Laura and Brendan, who were competing in the finals for the fourth time, secured £4,800 from the Big Deal fund.
THERE was disappointment for Britain’s top wheelchair tennis players at the 20th British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre. In the quad singles final, world No 2 David Wagner (USA) clinched his second title in three years as he denied Britain’s world No 1 quad player Peter Norfolk (Hampshire) a fifth British Open crown. Match of the day came in the quad doubles final as Wagner and his fellow American Nick Taylor, the reigning Paralympic champions, justified top seeding and retained their title after a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory over Norfolk and Merseyside’s Jamie Burdekin, Britain’s Beijing Parlaympic quad doubles bronze medallists.
JUST CHAMPION! E
IGHT riders from Beechley Stables put up some excellent performances at the Riding for the Disabled Association’s national championships at Hartpury College in Gloucester. Martin Little, pictured right, riding Mossgate Queenie, fared especially well, finishing in second place in both the Countryside Challenge and Introductory Dressage events. Martin, 17, and has severe learning difficulties and autism, but thanks to the help and support of the RDA he has developed a passion for horse riding which has enabled him to grow in self-confidence as well as finding a great social outlet. Also representing Beechley were Alison Greenidge (Princess Jasmine), 5th place, Countryside Challenge; Sophie Doran (Princess Jasmine), 5th place, Turnout; Daniel Rigby, who took the Horsecare and Knowledge prize; Carol McGowan (Mossgate Queenie); and Janice Thomas (Mossgate Queenie) Springfield School, Liverpool, picked up an award for their pupils’ art work which is currently on display at the RDA Headquarters, Warwick Beechley Stables, tel 0151 724 4490.
Gymnasts in top form
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RIDING HIGH: Martin Little
PERFECT: Vicky Perez and Omar Haddad
So are you up for this? BRITAIN’S world class ski champions Ed Drake and Graham Bell are to take part in the UK’s first ever ski-a-thon. Up to 100 teams of up to six people – with or without disabilities – can join in the 12-hour fundraising event for the Spinal Injuries Association. Ed said: “We are supporting the ski-a-thon because we know how much work this charity puts into helping those who have been affected by spinal injuries. This is an ideal opportunity for us to become part of an event that demonstrates how people can still get out and enjoy the mountains,
even if they have a spinal injury. “Atomic works with a number of athletes on the British disabled ski team including Talan SkeelsPiggins, who is ranked fifth in the world in downhill. “He is an inspiration to anyone who wants to see the sports you can do from a wheelchair.” Adaptive SnowSports MK will be demonstrating their mono-skiing equipment to encourage more disabled skiers. The event take place on September 12, at Sno!zone, Milton Keynes. Contact Sarah on 0845 6786633 or email: s.tennent@spinal.co.uk
HESHIRE Sport’s Academy’s disabled gymnasts Vicky Perez and Omar Haddad have become British Gymnastics National Champions. Although sports acrobatics has been well-established in the UK for over 30 years it is only for the last nine years that gymnasts with disabilities have been able to compete. Vicky, who has muscular dystrophy and who is also profoundly deaf, and her partner Omar Haddad, who has Down’s Syndrome, had to perform a series of complex and difficult balances and skills at the national finals in Fenton. Cheshire Academy co-director and coach Iain Chalmers said: “To wheel yourself patiently on the gymnastics floor before nearly a thousand spectators and gymnasts, with a bank of top international judges scrutinising your every move, can be daunting for mainstream gymnasts – never mind a gymnast with a disability. “But Victoria and Omar simply relished the experience. They performed an outstanding routine, hitting their balances perfectly and following the complex floor pattern faultlessly.”
Plain sailing
SNOW TIME: Countdown to UK’s first ski-a-thon
THE third annual RYA Sailability Multi Class Regatta takes place at Rutland Sailing Club, August 14-16. The regatta is open to all racing sailors with disabilities who race in the following classes - Access, 2.4mR, Challenger, Martin 16, SKUD, Artemis and Squib. RYA Sailability manager Debbie Blachford said: “Whatever your ability, from first time racers to Paralympic level, the regatta has something for everyone.” www.rya.org.uk/sailability