Para update July 2024
Almost too busy to find time to write the news since the Avon League on June 9th.
Almost too busy to find time to write the news since the Avon League on June 9th.
Despite the extensive rain overnight, three of our para athletes successfully competed in in an international field. With seeding heats on Saturday and finals on Sunday, all progressed in the rankings and improved their PBs.
In 2023, we have worked with over 100 participants from the age of 6 years to over 50 years.
We have run sessions and competitions for those with a wide range of disability – physical, intellectual, deaf and blind.
Our approach to Adaptive and Para-Athletics is to “respect the individual and adapt the activities”.
Over the weekend of 12th and 13th August, Toby Richardson went through the UK athletics classification process to become a recognised para-athlete.
Yate Adaptive and Para Athletics group together with the Deaf Studies Trust set up a regional Deaf Schools Athletics competition on 11th July at YOSC.
This attracted 65 participants from Bristol Schools and mainstream schools in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire.
As you may be aware, the procedures for competition in Para-Athletics are rather more complex than in mainstream athletics. Although our programme of Adaptive Athletics has been running for over a year, we are only now fully engaging with Para-Athletic competition.
On 15th and 16th of July, Nancy Jubb became our first fully classified athlete.
Over the last eighteen months, we have received funding from a Section 106 grant (made by house builders to the community) which allowed us to bring in race chairs and frames and other smaller kit…
The Deaf Studies Trust, along with the Adaptive Athletics project at Yate AC, ran a competitive event for deaf schoolchildren.
On the day, we had 50 competitors from 6 years old to 15 years old. They came from Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire schools.
After extensive refurbishment at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex, attention turned to the issues surrounding inclusion and community athletics for all. Following discussions with potential partners across the South West, and after meetings with England Athletics, it was confirmed that YOSC was the ideal venue for development of an open and developing athletics programme for all level and abilities.
Long time no blog right?!!
I’ve had a busy few months so that’s the reason why there hasn’t been a blog from me for a while so hopefully you’ll accept my apologies, I don’t want to upset the avid Beth Blog Readers amongst you!!
This weekend sees the Anniversary Games in London being held. I would particularly encourage you all to watch the Parallel Success events they can really give you a great insight to what can be achieved through overcoming physical barriers and with the right mindset. Channel 4 Sunday at 2-00pm is the place to go!! It’s something I hope I will be able to partake in one day. I’ve recently realised that my Cerebral Palsy doesn’t give me limitations but it gives me so much more happiness. Without Cerebral Palsy I wouldn’t have met Dr Tim Button who is my Chiropractor from Cleve Chiropractic and Next Step in Mangotsfield. The work Tim and his team do is amazing. Chiropractic treatment for CP is fantastic. Tim uses Chiropractic and compliments this with sports massage to help not just me but all of his patients. Check his clinic out!! Definitely a world class chiropractor with a huge heart for all his patients. Tim saw that I didn’t have the best attitude towards my cerebral palsy and put me in contact with Mark Lodge (my coach) and with Mark’s help and support I’ve gone from saying ‘I can’t’ to ‘I CAN!!’ Sprinting has been a game changer for me and I can honestly say that it has helped my condition no end. Drs have noticed how strong my CP is getting and have encouraged me to keep running…. I never intend to stop anyway I love it so much. It’s the best thing in the world when I step onto the track. From my own experience and what it has taught me, I would urge anyone with a medical condition to never give up in going for their dreams even if it feels impossible. I know this because if someone had said to me that 3 years ago I would be sprinting I would have laughed in their face. Now the joke is on me… I love it. Having a disability doesn’t limit me at all… it gives me so many great opportunities than I could ever have imagined it would. I’ve even spoken at the House of Lords about it!! Not many people get to do that now do they?!!
So whatever you think your limitations are in life.. think again and turn them around for good. What you deem to be your weakness is most definitely your strongest point. We normally find good fortune from what we think our own misfortunes are. So be positive and remain positive. Life is way too short to think our own imperfections are limitations. We are perfectly made for the purpose we are here on this Earth for. Live life and have fun!!
Over and out!!
Beth