Tom Matthews: Look back at 2013

Thomas Matthews has already shared with us in a previous blog how he got involved in disability sport. The 21 year old has had an impressive year winning his first international medal, with 2013 all wrapped up, Tom has big plans for 2014.

 



Matthews has big plans for 2014

As I reflect on 2013 it was a great year in my development as a Table Tennis player. My highs include winning my first international medals which was a silver in singles and a bronze in doubles at the Mike Dempsey Memorial Championships in San Diego. With the funding from the Disability Sport Wales Academy and through private sponsorship by Snowdrop Mobility I came away with silver after losing to a player ranked number 7 in the world. He beat me 3-2 in the early rounds which was a massive achievement for me to take him so close. Playing him in the final of the singles he showed his experience and beat me 3-1, but I still gave him a good game.

 

Additionally I’ve been fortunate to be recognised for my ability by being selected onto the Great Britain World Class Pathway squad, which will see me being supported by additional training with the GB Coaches as well as further competitive opportunities, especially internationally.

I ended 2013 ranked 21 in the World in the Class 1 group within Para Table Tennis.

Tom wins his first international
 medals

At the other end of things, it is frustrating trying to get money and sponsorship for a new playing chair which is a cost of £4500. With the engagement of SnowDrop Motability Cardiff as a sponsor, and the continued support of the Disability Sport Wales Academy programme and WPTSA (Welsh Paraplegic & Tetraplegic Sports Association) I hope to reach my targets I have set for 2014. Without the support of these organisations, as well as my personal coach Jim Munkley MBE I’d never be able to what I’m doing today.

 

I’m looking forward to 2014 to push myself even further. One of my goals is to get within the top 15 on the world ranking lists in my class which I think is possible with a lot of work but I’m up for that challenge. So hopefully a few more finals and a few more medals so bring on 2014 and I hope you all have a happy new year! Thanks once again to all my supporters.

 

 

300 days to go #swansea2014

As we mark 300 days to go until the IPC Athletics European Championships kick off in Swansea, 2014 is already set to be a jam packed year of sporting events. Disability Sport Wales Performance Manager, Anthony Hughes tells us about his plans for the upcoming summer series as twelve Welsh athletes have been confirmed by UK Athletics (UKA) that they are to be supported by the National Lottery funded World Class Performance Programme for 2013- 2014.

It is without question that the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea is set to be one of the key highlights of the 2014 season. Our athletes have a long road ahead of them to secure selection for the Europeans but such events enable me, along with British Athletics to set performance targets and to determine the performance level of our Welsh athletes. It will inevitably be a heavily contested event with some of the very best performers from Europe descending on the city.
 

Aled Davies

In the past myself, support staff and athletes have driven thousands of miles across Europe to go to head-to-head with the best on the continent and now it’s time to welcome them on to our turf.  Having the event in Swansea will not only test our Welsh athletes, but also give them that extra drive and determination to win a medal in their own backyard in front of their family and friends. London 2012 brought out the very best in our athletes and I am positive that Swansea will have the same effect.

Kyron Duke

For some of even the most experienced athletes Swansea 2014 will be their first taste of an IPC Athletics European event. London 2012 gold medallists Aled Davies and Josie Pearson as well as newcomers Jordan Howe and Stephen Morris are just a few who will be hoping to be selected for this event for the first time. And they know that they will have to impress British Athletics Head Coach, Paula Dunn for that to happen. Previous reputations count for nothing when you’re in the mix for selection.

Nathan Stephens

I am delighted that these twelve Welsh athletes have been given that support by UKA for the coming year; it also shows the strength in depth within our nation. It’s also important not to forget the likes of Wales-based Hollie Arnold and the numerous talented athletes in our academy programme, who will be pushing hard to gain the ‘A’ standard needed to be in contention for Swansea.

I am confident that Swansea 2014 will deliver an amazing five days of competition, showcasing the best athletes in Europe. This will the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the very best of what Wales has to offer and give the country a platform to host future world-class events.

For further information about #swansea2014 click here.


 

Tom Smith: Deaflympics so far

Cardiff based, Tom Smith is currently competing at the 22nd Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria. Disability Sport Wales has provided financial support to Tom and another Welsh athlete, Emily Noden. Tom gives us an insight to his time at the Deaflympics so far.

Opening Ceremony! It was nice to get out of the hotel for a little bit and spend quality time with the team and see some friends from other nations. I left early as I wanted to chill and get some down time before the sprint the following morning. It’s not my best event but went into it as prepared as I could be. I qualified in 8th place in the 200m time trial. Got through the first round comfortably and then had a good battle with the German- Holger Kleefus. It was close on the line! After seeing that the explosiveness wasn’t going to match the other guys, I decided to surprise and go for a long one in the 5th-8th final. It paid off!

Having done a lot of hard road races in Belgium this year meant that I didn’t get the time to work on the explosiveness or acceleration from a slow speed. The top end is there which I am happy about, so will be putting that to good use on Wednesday at the road race. I had a recon of the course and it looks interesting. It will be more interesting being a sole rider when all the other countries have big teams. We shall see! Check out the tumblr link for brief photos of the sprint, and also check out my follow Welsh mate Emily Noden who is competing in the swimming events. Rising star! Watch her for the future! I will send you a further update soon.

Ashleigh Hellyer: Swansea 2014

My name is Ashleigh Hellyer. I am 22 years old and compete in Shot Putt. I currently sit 12th in the World rankings and 4th in the European rankings.

Ashleigh in his GB kit

I was delighted to find out that Swansea would be the host city of the IPC Athletics Europeans in 2014. I have travelled the world competing  and I am so pleased that it will be coming to Wales and its only 5 miles from where I live. For me personally to have the opportunity to compete on home soil in front of family and friends and the people of Swansea has given me a massive incentive to continue training as hard as I possibly can in order for me to qualify.

It is a great confidence boost with a large home support behind me, seeing familiar faces and hearing familiar voices in the crowd. I believe that after the success of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and the way the Swansea public supported the Paralympic touch relay, I have no doubt that the nation will be well supported.

I think that Swansea is the perfect city to host the 2014 European championships for many reasons; the sporting facilities that Swansea has to offer will be hugely beneficial to all the athletes. The indoor athletics track will cater for all track and field events; there are multiple gyms to use as athletes prepare to compete. Also in down-time, Swansea can offer beautiful coastlines and scenery for everyone to enjoy.

This is also a fantastic achievement for everyone involved as  this is the first time this event is to be held anywhere in the United Kingdom. So come on you people of Swansea and the rest of Wales and Great Britain, get behind us for this amazing event.

From London 2012 to Glasgow 2014

As we mark 500 days to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, our Academy Manager, Gerwyn Owen reflects on the legacy from London as we continue to develop athletes ready for Glasgow 2014.

Six months on from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and of course we miss that time, but re-focus we’ve had to do! Although for me it has never been just about London 2012.

When London was announced in 2005 as the host for the Olympic & Paralympic Games in 2012, the performance unit within Disability Sport Wales knew then full advantage had to be taken. On the back of a successful Paralympic Games in Sydney (2000) & Athens (2004) we knew we had a model to develop talented athletes to enable them to be selected for the Great Britain team.

 

Jordan Howe joined the DSW Academy
at 9 years old, he competed in his first
major games at London 2012

By simply adopting a talent process, namely the Academy in 2006, we set off on a journey not just to London but to 2016 and beyond. Over the years we have identified athletes as young as 9 years old, and gone on a journey with them. Early success was had in Beijing with 9 out of the 15 Welsh athletes from the academy programme making the ParalympicsGB team.

For London 2012 Paralympic Games my target was to introduce as many new Paralympians into the team from the Academy. Of the 38 Welsh athletes selected for ParalympicsGB, 19 were first time Paralympians, with 18 of them coming through the Academy programme. Additionally of the 38 athletes, 24 had received support and services directly from the Academy programme in the last 4 year Paralympic cycle.

For an athlete it’s all about ‘stepping stones’ – building up on training regimes, competitions and experience. Competitions are integral to the development of an athlete, and it’s heartening to see the Paralympic competition calendar continuing to evolve, with many more opportunities open to athletes than have been previously.

Gerwyn with London 2012 Gold and Bronze
medallist Aled Davies, who has his sights firmly
set on Glasgow 2014

Becoming stronger within the calendar is the Commonwealth Games, where the para-sport opportunity is growing by each Games. Manchester 2002 was the first Commonwealth games  to include Para-sport events, Wales have reaped the rewards with medals being obtained in each subsequent Games.

 

Follow Gerwyn on Twitter - @gerwynowen

Rookwood to London 2012

Neil Smith is the DSW Head Coach at our Cycling Academy, having taught Para-Cyclist Mark Colbourne to ride a bike again following his accident in 2009, this summer he saw Mark win two silver medals and  gold in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Neil shares with us, what has been an incredible three years for both Mark and Neil.
 
Mark standing on the top step of the podium in London receiving his gold medal was a very special day for me and the culmination of a 3-year journey!

I remember very clearly that morning in 2009 when Mark first walked into the Wales National Velodrome on a pair of crutches, he was actually still a patient at Rookwood hospital and had come over to meet and discuss what opportunities where available to him in this new world of Paralympic Performance Sport.


Neil with Mark after winning
 his first medal

 A few weeks later he arrived for his first session on what have now become the legendary “stabalisers”, which allowed him to ride in a safe environment and regain his balance, whilst permitting me to fully assess his abilities. It didn’t take many weeks before he was riding solo again and we progressed onto the track for the real technical work to begin.

 We set a target for Mark to compete for the first time at the Grand Prix of Wales the following May and on his debut at the event he took Gold in both the time trial and pursuit, whilst also taking the British Record for his classification.
 

Although this was a great foundation stone there was still quite a bridge gap to a Paralympic performance level and with London fast approaching the training during the coming winter was going to be crucial if London was to become a reality, although at this stage Mark was more concerned about making Rio in 2016.

 With Mark’s disability training in cold conditions isn’t optimum, so when a friend offered him an opportunity to spend the winter in warmer climes it was something he jumped at, although coaching someone 1000+ miles away may have its challenges, thankfully with todays technologies we where able to keep in regular contact, exchanging training data and video clips.

Mark had his very own chase car

On his return to Wales in 2011, we both knew we had to find a reference event for Mark to demonstrate to Team GB the hard work he had put in over the winter and a Time Trial in Doncaster worked perfectly.

Contacting the GB Paracycling Team with the results in hand, we managed to gain agreement for FDSW to support Mark as a GB “guest rider” in Switzerland and Spain in the coming weeks, the later event seeing Mark take his first medal in a GB jersey and book his place at the 2011 World Championships where he took a silver in the time trial. The year ending with Mark becoming a full member of team GB and a move to Manchester.

 

Neil was a commentator at the Paralympic
Games for Channel 4.

Preparations going into London got underway with a great start at the 2012 Track World Championships where he became both World Champion in the pursuit and taking silver in the TT. Whilst on the road he continued to pick up medals with Silvers medals at the World Cup events in Spain and Italy.
 
So when London arrived there was great expectation both on the track and road, which Mark lived up to taking a Gold and Silver on the track and a final silver at a very hilly Brands Hatch in the time trial.

It’s a privilege for me to have joined Mark on his remarkable journey from Rookwood Hospital to London 2012!

 

 

 

Billy Pye: Sport Wales Coach of the Year 2012

 

Newly crowned Sport Wales Coach of the Year 2012, Billy Pye, started his career as a coach in local Bridgend swimming club, this year Billy saw his swimmers return from the London 2012 Paralympic Games with 11 medals in tow, including two golds and two world records.

 

 I first got involved in coaching, as a Head Coach at Cynffig Swimming club in Bridgend, then I moved on to Assistant Head coach at Bridgend County Swim Squad, this was followed by becoming Head Coach at the same club. In 2003 I made the move to my current role as Head Coach at British disability Swimming, based in the Swansea High Performance Centre.

 

Pye is Sport Wales Coach of
the Year 2012

Being a coach doesn’t come easy and if I was to give one piece of advice to aspiring coaches, it would to, ‘be patient with swimmers, take advice from your peers, be a good listener and a great motivator’.

 

The London 2012 Paralympics games have had such an impact on not just the general public’s perception of disability sport but sport in general. I truly believe that we will have a lasting legacy with young people getting involved in sport.

                                                                                                                         

There isn’t much rest following London, my next focus is going to be the World Championships in Canada in August 2013. For 2014-2015, I am going to be focussing on the World and European Championships, and the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow. Then obviously my long term aim is going to the next Paralympic games in Rio 2016.

Follow Billy on Twitter @Billypye2012