Anthony Hughes: London 2012

Anthony Hughes, has been the National Performance Manager for Disability Sport Wales for 14 years, he will be one of the lead UK Athletics throws coaches in London as part of the ParalympicsGB team. With 38 Welsh athletes in London he is sure to feel at home.


My key responsibility at the Games is to work alongside the Welsh athletes based in the ParalympicsGB athletics team, some of whom I coach in a variety of throws events. Having said that I am also keen to ensure that I offer any support that is needed for  any of the Welsh members of the GB Team.  I have no doubt that as far as our  first time Welsh paralympians are concerned London 2012 will be an incredible  experience for them, and in some cases it may be overwhelming.


Anthony Hughes won Coach of the Year in 2011

There will be a huge expectation and pressure on the shoulders of our young competitors. Given my experience over many Games  I feel that I will be able to manage and support the ambitions of my own athletes as well as assisting other Welsh athletes from other sports. Sometimes a friendly face at Games time can make all the difference. Keeping pressures at bay such as the media and other Games distractions is critical if we are to ensure that the athletes can focus on their performance . We are here to provide a support network both inside and outside of the games; this has been paramount to our success in the past.


This will be my sixth Paralympic games, with varying degrees of responsibility from athlete to performance manager, and now to personal coach to some of our Welsh athletes. This will also be my first games based in the athletes village as a member of the ParalympicsGB staff. Being part of the GB staffing team is a honour indeed.


When I competed in Barcelona, in 1992, it was all about my own expectations and performance. Now, in London, it will be about ensuring that the things that  just didn’t go right for me in Barcelona, don’t reoccur for our young squad. This will be about ensuring we deflect as much pressure and external expectation as is possible. It is an immense honour to be linked to such incredible talent. Wales has a proud reputation in Paralympic sport and I totally believe that our young competitors will make amazing history in London.



Follow Anthony’s journey through London via @dsw_news

Alice Viles: Deloitte to Disability Sport Wales

Alice Viles, works in the Private Client Tax department in Deloitte, Cardiff, she has just undertaken her first experience as a volunteer at the Wheelchair Sports Spectacular 2012. The 22 year old, share with us her nerves, expectations and lasting impressions.

I first became aware of Disability Sports Wales when I started working in Deloitte but before then I am ashamed to say I never knew it existed!

Alice volunteered at her first DSW event

Our office gave us the opportunity to volunteer for the Wheelchair Spectacular event and my colleagues said what a brilliant day it was last year so I signed up not really knowing what to expect. On the day of the event I was a little bit nervous (to say the least) and even more so after I heard that about 500 children were expected as (I am not really that great with one child let alone 500)!

I was given a station on the golf stand and can’t really say that I have much experience in the field of golf (and am still far from being an expert!) but gave it a go. The support from the other volunteers and coaches was fantastic and everyone from DSW seemed more than happy to answer any questions. When the event started mid morning the kids started to flood in and the hours flew by as more and more children queued up to give the golf a go. There was a vast range of abilities and ages of children and adults and making the activity work for every one was a bit challenging at first but I soon got used to it and did all I could to allow all abilities to give it a go.

The sense of achievement I got from seeing a child going from being very distracted by everything that was going on and unsure about themselves to becoming transfixed on the game and beaming with happiness when they hit the target was so rewarding. Their parents and carers were also so thankful of the volunteers and to see their reaction to the children’s happiness made me feel really appreciated. It was such a humbling experience to see young people with severe levels of disability giving the golf a go and seeing the enjoyment in their eyes was something I will never forget.

The atmosphere was so uplifting and coming away from the event I felt so humble and inspired by the children (and their hardworking carers!). I am now looking into volunteering on weekends as I loved every minute of the experience.

If you would like to get involved in volunteering at Disability Sport Wales events, please email: office@disabilitysportwales.com

Tom Matthews: My Story

Thomas Matthews, 19 , from Aberdare had a mountain biking accident in 2008, leaving him with a shattered C6 vetrabrate, he spent a 6 months in rehabilitation at Rookwood, where he met DSW Table Tennis coach, Jim Munkley who introduced him to the DSW Academy, he has now been part of the Academy for two years.

 
I was keen mountain biker and studying carpentry, it was 23^rd March 2008, I was mountain biking with my uncle and a friend, when I hit a jump and didn’t clear the whole jump, my back wheel hit the landing and I got thrown over the handle bars, I closed my eyes and just remember hearing a huge crunch. I was lying on the floor and trying to move my legs to get back up and they wouldn’t move, I touched my chest but I couldn’t feel anything. My uncle came down after and told me to get up and stop messing around, he started to tap feet with a rock but I couldn’t feel anything, he called 999, he knew it was serious.

Tom was a keen mountain biker

When I woke up after the surgery, my dad told me, 'it’s serious Tom, you have broke your neck, and you might not walk again’. We were both in tears but my dad said to me, we will sort this out; you’re going to be fine.  

I first heard about table tennis at Rookwood, when Jim Munkley and Sara Head approached me to have a go, my initial reaction was no thanks. One night, I went to have a look at the club training and they asked me again to have a go, so I did and for the next hour I couldn’t leave the table. I started playing for the Rookwood and then Jim invited to play at Sport Wales National Centre, me and mum would travel from the hospital for me to play.

I left the hospital October 2008, I started training more regularly, I got my car in March 2009, there was a period were table tennis wasn’t my focus and I wanted to enjoy being 17 and do normal teenage things, go out with mates having a good time but some on my friends didn’t know how to react, I am the same person. 

Tom with his DSW Academy coach Jim Munkley

I started missing table tennis, I was bored at home, I gave Jim a ring and asked if I could come back and he was more than happy for me to return.  I now train three times a week and I enjoy it more than ever. I never thought there was life after an injury but now I have realised there is a life, my life is normal other than I am in wheelchair.  It so important to talk about how you feel, I can chat with anyone about my injury and without the academy; I don’t know where I would be.

Follow Tom on Twitter: @TMatthews1992