FAMILY BEHIND AN ATHLETE

We hear from Mike Thomas on his journey supporting his son Jacob, who has been selected to represent ParalympicsGB in Boccia. Mike will be his on-court ramp assistant throughout London 2012, he shares his story with us.

“It all started eight years ago when Jacob was not able to play football with his piers on the school playground, he came home one day really excited saying that he had started playing Boccia, from that day forward there was no looking back.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would ever play in the Paralympic Games one day. It’s been a fantastic journey and we have met and made so many friends along the way. Boccia is Jacob's life and brings him so much enjoyment and gives him something to focus on.

 Jacob has always loved all kinds of sport, but Boccia allows him to compete at a very high level. It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work for Jacob to get where he is today, from travelling the eighty miles to Cardiff every Saturday for many years to train with his friends at the Welsh academy through DSW, to training up to sixteen hours a week at our local leisure centre at Haverfordwest and recently travelling further afield to train with the Great Britain squad.

I can't put into words what it means to me to see Jacob compete the way he does. He is so focused and committed to being an athlete, when he is on court his process and tactical ability amazes me, he makes me so proud.

Jacob is so happy that he has been selected for the GB Squad to compete at London Paralympic Games and he is totally committed to performing well and wants to bring that Gold back home.

It’s going to be a fantastic experience for the both of us.”

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100 days to go til the Paralympics.

It’s a 100 until the Paralympics Games and the official launch of the Disability Sport Wales blog. Jon Morgan, Executive Director of Disability Sport Wales shares his thoughts on the importance of grassroots’ opportunities and our ambition to deliver further opportunities for disabled people.

100 DAYS TO GO TO THE PARALYMPIC GAMES – WE’RE READY - ARE YOU?

It’s a mouth watering prospect – just 100 days to go until the Paralympic Games roll into London – just 100 days until the World’s best paralympic athletes gather for 10 days of incredible action.  In one sense we simply can’t wait for the Games to start. In another, it’s the realisation that we now have only 100 days to ensure that we fully maximise the opportunity that these Games will bring.

The reality of course is that here at Disability Sport Wales we’ve been planning for the Games for a lot longer than just 100 days. In fact our planning started on the 06 July 2005 – the day the Games were awarded to ‘the city of London’  

Since that momentous announcement in Singapore we’ve been focussed on what we want to achieve for disability sport in Wales. Perhaps you could say we’ve been a bit selfish with our ambitions? But sometimes being selfish, or put in another way ‘focussed’ is just what is needed to ensure that you achieve what you want.  

How many times have you heard the expression ‘the Games are a unique once in a lifetime opportunity to create a lasting legacy for sport in this country’. Well as far as I am concerned that statement is only partly true. Yes, the Games are unique and yes, they will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. But the Games alone can’t create the legacies we all so desperately want. Legacy doesn’t just happen! Great legacy is something that is the result of vision and a lot of hard work – and yes – perhaps a bit of selfish focus.

Our vision for a legacy has been founded on four key pillars – the development of world class athletes, great community programmes which reflect changing needs, new partnerships with different sectors and the ability through the power of sport to inspire change in the way our society perceives disability. 

 Let’s start with our Welsh athletes. They are critical to our legacy plans. They are the starting point because without them there simply would be no Games. Their increased profile will help us to create a nation where the expectation is that every child will be hooked on sport.

Their achievements on the field of play will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of athletes. Along with Sport Wales we share in the vision of a Wales where we continue to be recognised as a nation of paralympic champions. We are already a proud and successful paralympic nation with a fantastic track record of producing world class athletes, some of them household names. Since the Beijing Games we have made huge efforts to ensure that the Welsh conveyor belt of talent continues to operate at a fast pace, building on our past successes by producing the next generation of talented athletes.  The single ambition of our Academy programme is to support as many athletes as is possible to be selected into the ParalymicsGB team. At the moment, that ambition looks likely to be achieved.

And what of our community aspirations? Our grassroots programme is now 10 years in the making and well established. We’re proud of the fact that last year, together with our local authority partners we delivered over 1 million opportunities for disabled people to play sport across Wales.  What we now need to do is to offer more choice by creating a more inclusive sporting landscape where disabled people can play sport more often, and in more locations. The power and positivity of the Games will help our partners in the national governing bodies, the clubs and local authorities realise that this aim is achievable. Our ‘insport’ programme has been designed to support this very aim and will be rolled out across Wales later this year.

We know that our local authority partners are also busy, preparing for the Games by developing a programme of events and activities to mark this fantastic summer of sport. From Paralympic flame festivals to multi-sport events and club promotions –the programme is packed and there’s something for everyone to get involved with. Just visit our website www.disability-sport-wales.org for more details on local events.

 One of our key ambitions is around developing new partnerships. We are already working with some fantastic partners but there’s always room for more. Over the last two years we have become involved with many new partners from the private sector who have been inspired by 2012 to support us. Not only do they provide additional resources in a very practical sense but they also give us the opportunity to learn how ‘to do things differently’ as well as helping us to be more business like in our approach to disability sport.  Developing these partnerships is a relatively new and important area of work for us. We know that if we get it right the long term gains will be significant.

Our final ambition is around changing the way society feels about disability sport and thereby disability in general. Never will we have a better or more dynamic chance to present disability in a positive light. Through the power of sport we can influence for the better the way people think feel and behave toward disability. Perceptions, which all too often have been based on ignorance and lack of awareness in the past, can be changed. This summer we can challenge society to see the ability of people, not the disability.

 So as the Paralympics ‘opening ceremony’ on the 29^TH August draws ever closer, so must our focus become even sharper. The Games provide a real opportunity for us to take disability sport to a new level in Wales. We’re ready to grasp that opportunity– the question is – are you? 

We would love to hear your thoughts, follow us on twitter @dsw_news, using the #disabilitysportwales hashtag.

100 DIWRNOD I FYND TAN Y GEMAU PARALYMPAIDD – RYDYN NI’N BAROD – YDYCH CHI?

Mae’n tynnu dŵr o’r dannedd – dim ond 100 diwrnod sydd i fynd nes bydd y Gemau Paralympaidd yn cyrraedd Llundain – dim ond 100 diwrnod nes bydd athletwyr paralympaidd gorau’r byd yn ymgynnull ar gyfer 10 niwrnod o gystadlu anhygoel. Ar un llaw, dydyn ni ddim yn gallu disgwyl i’r Gemau gychwyn. Ar y llaw arall, rydyn ni’n sylweddoli mai dim ond 100 diwrnod sydd gennym ni ar ôl i sicrhau ein bod ni’n gwneud y gorau o bob cyfle a ddaw yn sgil y Gemau hyn.

Y realiti wrth gwrs ydi ein bod ni yma yn Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru wedi bod yn cynllunio ar gyfer y Gemau ers llawer mwy na dim ond 100 diwrnod. Yn wir, fe ddechreuodd ein gwaith cynllunio ni ar 06 Gorffennaf 2005 – y diwrnod y cyhoeddwyd y byddai’r Gemau’n cael eu cynnal yn ‘ninas Llundain’.

Ers y cyhoeddiad hollbwysig hwnnw yn Singapore, rydyn ni wedi bod yn canolbwyntio ar yr hyn rydyn ni eisiau ei gyflawni ar ran chwaraeon anabledd yng Nghymru. Efallai bod modd i chi ddweud ein bod ni wedi bod braidd yn hunanol yn ein huchelgais? Ond weithiau mae bod yn hunanol, neu o’i ddweud fel arall, yn llawn ffocws, yn gwbl angenrheidiol er mwyn sicrhau eich bod chi’n cyflawni’r hyn rydych chi ei eisiau.

Sawl gwaith ydych chi wedi clywed yr ymadrodd ‘mae’r Gemau’n gyfle unigryw mewn oes i greu treftadaeth barhaus i chwaraeon yn y wlad hon’? Wel, cyn belled ag yr ydw i yn y cwestiwn, dim ond rhannol wir yw’r datganiad hwn. Mae’r Gemau, yn sicr, yn unigryw ac maen nhw’n siŵr o fod yn gyfle unwaith mewn oes. Ond ni all y Gemau ar eu pen eu hunain greu’r dreftadaeth rydyn ni’n dyheu cymaint amdani. Nid dim ond digwydd mae treftadaeth! Mae treftadaeth wych yn ganlyniad i weledigaeth a llawer iawn o waith caled – ac ie – ychydig o ffocws hunanol efallai.                             

Mae ein gweledigaeth ni ar gyfer treftadaeth wedi cael ei sylfaenu ar bedair elfen allweddol – datblygu athletwyr o safon byd, rhaglenni cymunedol gwych sy’n adlewyrchu anghenion sy’n newid, partneriaethau newydd gyda sectorau amrywiol a’r gallu drwy gyfrwng grym chwaraeon i ysbrydoli newid yn y ffordd y mae ein cymdeithas ni’n edrych ar anabledd.                       

Beth am ddechrau gyda’n hathletwyr ni yma yng Nghymru. Maen nhw’n rhan gwbl allweddol o’n cynlluniau treftadaeth ni. Dyma’r man cychwyn oherwydd, hebddyn nhw, ’fyddai dim Gemau o gwbl. Bydd eu proffil uwch yn ein helpu ni i greu cenedl ble mae disgwyl i bob plentyn fod wedi gwirioni ar chwaraeon.

Bydd eu cyflawniadau ar y maes chwarae yn ysbrydoli’r genhedlaeth nesaf o athletwyr yn sicr. Ochr yn ochr â Chwaraeon Cymru, rydyn ni’n rhannu’r weledigaeth o Gymru ble rydyn ni’n parhau i gael ein cydnabod fel cenedl o bencampwyr paralympaidd. Rydyn ni eisoes yn genedl baralympaidd falch a llwyddiannus gydag enw da rhagorol am gynhyrchu athletwyr o safon byd, gyda rhai ohonynt yn enwau cyfarwydd iawn. Ers Gemau Beijing, rydyn ni wedi gwneud ymdrech fawr i sicrhau bod Cymru’n parhau i gynhyrchu talentau un ar ôl y llall, gan adeiladu ar ein llwyddiannau ni yn y gorffennol a chreu’r genhedlaeth nesaf o athletwyr talentog. Yr unig uchelgais sydd gan ein rhaglen Academi ni yw cefnogi cymaint o athletwyr ag y bo modd i gael eu dewis yn aelodau o dîm Paralympaidd PF. Ar hyn o bryd, mae’n edrych yn debyg y byddwn ni’n cyflawni’r uchelgais hwnnw. 

A beth am ein dyheadau cymunedol ni? Mae ein rhaglen ni ar lawr gwlad wedi’i sefydlu ers 10 mlynedd bellach. Rydyn ni’n falch o’r ffaith ein bod ni, y llynedd, ochr yn ochr â’n partneriaid ni mewn awdurdodau lleol, wedi cyflwyno mwy nag 1 miliwn o gyfleoedd i bobl anabl gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon ar hyd a lled Cymru. Yr hyn y mae’n rhaid i ni ei wneud yn awr yw cynnig mwy o ddewis drwy greu tirlun chwaraeon mwy cynhwysol ble gall pobl anabl gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon yn amlach ac mewn mwy o leoliadau. Bydd grym y Gemau a’r elfen gadarnhaol sy’n perthyn iddyn nhw yn helpu ein partneriaid ni yn y cyrff rheoli cenedlaethol, y clybiau a’r awdurdodau lleol i sylweddoli bod modd iddyn nhw gyflawni eu hamcan. Mae ein rhaglen ‘insport’ wedi cael ei chynllunio i gefnogi’r amcan hwn a bydd yn cael ei hehangu ledled Cymru yn nes ymlaen eleni.

 Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod ein partneriaid ni yn yr awdurdodau lleol yn brysur hefyd, yn paratoi ar gyfer y Gemau drwy ddatblygu rhaglen o ddigwyddiadau i ddathlu’r haf rhagorol hwn o chwaraeon. O wyliau’r fflam Baralympaidd i ddigwyddiadau aml-chwaraeon a gweithgareddau hybu clybiau – mae’r rhaglen yn orlawn ac mae rhywbeth i bawb gymryd rhan ynddo. Ewch i’n gwefan ni yn www.disability-sport-wales.org am ragor o fanylion a digwyddiadau lleol.

Un uchelgais allweddol sydd gennym ni yw datblygu partneriaethau newydd. Rydyn ni eisoes yn gweithio gyda rhai partneriaid ffantastig ond mae lle i ragor o hyd. Yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, rydyn ni wedi ymwneud â llawer o bartneriaid newydd o’r sector preifat sydd wedi cael eu hysbrydoli gan 2012 i’n cefnogi ni. Maen nhw nid yn unig yn darparu adnoddau ychwanegol mewn ffordd ymarferol iawn ond hefyd maen nhw’n cynnig cyfle i ddysgu sut ‘i wneud pethau’n wahanol’ a hefyd yn ein helpu ni i feddwl mwy am fusnes yn ein dull ni o weithredu mewn perthynas â chwaraeon anabledd. Mae datblygu’r partneriaethau hyn yn faes gwaith cymharol newydd a phwysig i ni. Rydyn ni’n gwybod y bydd y manteision yn y tymor hir yn sylweddol os byddwn ni’n gwneud hyn yn iawn.

Ein huchelgais terfynol ni yw newid y ffordd y mae cymdeithas yn meddwl am chwaraeon anabledd a thrwy hynny am anabledd yn gyffredinol. Ni chawn ni fyth well cyfle, na chyfle mwy deinamig, i gyflwyno anabledd mewn golau cadarnhaol. Drwy rym chwaraeon, gallwn ni ddylanwadu er gwell ar y ffordd y mae pobl yn meddwl am anabledd ac yn ymddwyn tuag ato. Gellir newid canfyddiadau pobl, sydd wedi’u seilio’n llawer rhy aml yn y gorffennol ar anwybodaeth a diffyg ymwybyddiaeth. Yr haf hwn, fe allwn ni herio cymdeithas i weld yr hyn mae pobl yn gallu ei wneud, yn hytrach na gweld eu hanabledd a’r hyn nad ydyn nhw’n gallu ei wneud.

Felly, wrth i ‘seremoni agoriadol’ y Gemau Paralympaidd ar y 29^ain Awst nesau, mae’n rhaid i’n ffocws ninnau gryfhau. Mae’r Gemau’n gyfle gwirioneddol i ni fynd â chwaraeon anabledd i lefel newydd yng Nghymru. Rydyn ni’n barod i gydio yn y cyfle – y cwestiwn ydi – ydych chi?