Wales plays host to Pre games training camps

With 14 nations choosing Wales as their base for pre-games training camps, Jon Morgan, Executive Director for Disability Sport Wales, shares with us the behind the scenes work that has gone in to securing these teams as well as ensuring they receive access to the best facilitates Wales has to offer and most importantly building a on a London 2012 legacy.

The Paralympic Games may be happening 158 miles away up the M4 in London but for fourteen of the competing nations all roads have initially led to South Wales.


First Minster, Carwyn Jones welcomed the
camps at a Paralympic reception.

For the past six years Welsh Government, in partnership with Disability Sport Wales and a range of partners including local authorities, facility and accommodation providers and transportation teams, have led a campaign to bring some of the World’s highest profile Paralympic teams to Wales for their pre-games training camps. The likes of Australia, New Zealand, China, Mexico and our very own British Cycling team have all chosen Wales for one of the most crucial elements of their build up to the 2012 Games. In making this decision they have all recognised Wales as a destination where they will not only be able to access world class facilities, but also receive world class services as well as the warmest of Welsh welcomes.

Behind the scenes an enormous operation has been taking place to ensure that Wales has been able to deliver all of the necessary services which are required to meet the very high standards and expectations of our visitors. Services including meet and greets for arrivals and departures, accessible transportation and accommodation, equipment and logistics, catering, sports science and medical services, volunteer deployments and of course access to high performance sports facilities have all been needed to ensure that Teams not only enjoy a successful pre-games camp but also that they leave Wales in the knowledge that we have delivered on our commitments.



Mexico and NZ who are both based in Swansea,
 have been training at Wales National Pool.

Of course whilst pre-games camps primarily focus on those all important final preparations for the athletes, there are so many other benefits that they bring to Wales. Incoming Teams provide a timely and welcome boost to the local economy – in this case nearly 600 athletes staying for up to three weeks in some cases, - that’s an awful lot of ‘bed-nights’, buses and meals! The camps also provide for cultural opportunities through community engagement, an aspect of the 2012 programme that has already gone particularly well with many children, young people and sports clubs already having been inspired by these world class athletes.



Legacy hasn’t been forgotten either. Whilst Welsh Government are hoping for return visits by some of these Teams for future pre-Games camps e.g. International Paralympic World Athletics Championships Lyon 2013 / Commonwealth Games 2014 etc here at Disability Sport Wales we have been building up links with the Australian and New Zealand Paralympic Committees, working together on areas of common interest and development. We are also supporting other nations such as India, Liberia, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands and are keen to assist them in the further development of Paralympic and disability sport in any way we can.

Austrailia who are based in Cardiff,
 attended the unveiling of the Agitos at
 City Hall, Cardiff.

In just a few days time a six year project will draw to a close when we bid a very fond farewell to our overseas guests. We can be satisfied that Wales has once again lived up to its reputation as a passionate and committed country when it comes to Paralympic sport. We can also feel proud that in our own Welsh way we have made a huge contribution to what will surely be the greatest Paralympic Games of the modern era by hosting 14% of all the athletes that will compete.

The Teams have contributed so much to our own pre-Paralympic party and we thank them for their warmth, friendliness, energy and spirit. They are all worthy ambassadors of their countries and the Paralympic movement.

And as we wave them off to the Games, wishing them the very best of luck, I am sure that not one of them will begrudge us the opportunity to now turn our full attention and support to our own Greatest Team who will no doubt do us all proud come Games time.  Go ParalympicsGB!

 Follow Jon Morgan on Twitter. @JonnyMogs

Tracey Hinton: 6th Games

London will be Traceys’ sixth Paralympic games, at the age of 42, she has no signs of slowing down, in fact her times are getting quicker. With just 14 days to go until the Paralympics kick off, she recalls the moment she got the phone call she had been selected for London.

I was really nervous waiting for the phone call, I was in work, when the phone call came at 1.55pm, Peter Errikson rung me and said, ‘Congratulations Tracey you have been selected for the 100m and 200m’. Even though its my sixth games, the excitement is still the same.

Tracey with her guide runner Steffan

In reality I would like to medal in both events but a medal is a bonus and I am just thrilled to going to London. I am currently ranked 4^th in the world in the 200meteres and 5^th in the 100metres, as well as taking gold recently in the Europeans, so I have high hopes.

I’ve trained incredibly hard and I love training and competing and the buzz that comes with it, I hate not training, when I was injured last year for four months, I still trained everyday in the gym, being motivated doesn't come in to it, this is just my life

 I run with a guide runner called Steffan. We have known each other for 10 years and we have a great relationship, it’s important that we have a good relationship on and off the track. We have to work extremely hard to ensure we have the best technique possible. Steffen is my eyes, he guides me round the bends and keeps me in the correct lane.  Without Steffan, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have this year, his job doesn’t end of the track, he helps me in so many ways.

Follow Tracey on Twitter @TraceyHinton100 and her guide runner Steffan @SteffRhughes

Peter Errikson: UKA Paralympic Head Coach

Peter Errkison is UK Athletics Paralympic Head Coach. An undoubtedly successful Paralympic coach, he has coached athletes to win an incredible 119 medals at Paralympic Games since 1984. He shares with us his advice to athletes going in to the London Paralympic Games, the changes that have been implemented within the performance team, aswell as his thoughts on the DSW Academy and Performance structure.

For the younger and less experienced athletes going into London, I would advise them to be prepared, we have a good system with young and new athletes and the youngsters have somebody to look up to. Getting to a big games, like London for the first time, is a big shock. You have to go in there and do your best but at the same time you have got to have fun. If it becomes a panic situation, then you’re not having fun and you’re not going to want to do it again. 

There has been major change in performance in the run up to London, the most significant change being the culture of elitist sport; there is no excuse for not being well prepared. There is the same approach as the Olympics team, same coaching, and same expectations. It is an investment in medals and I have said from day one, we continue hammering away at it, the athletes that have been on the rewards programme disappearing even more so after 2012. The changing of the culture and training with Olympic athletes and Olympic coaches to see what it takes. Isolate yourself from the reality and the big world of elite sport doesn’t help you at all.

If I could  assist a first time athlete in the run up to London,  I would tell them, you can only do your best and then it is the question of being prepared, how well did they prepare and that will be the outcome of how well you do.

As for the Disability Sport Wales Programme, it is evident that is it the programme that is the most functional, from the academy team to the national team and its coaching. If you look from the perspective of a programme, that is the programme.

Finally my three key pieces of advice to any athlete is, have fun, do your best and never give up.

Follow Disability Sport Wales on Twitter @dsw_news