Sports

Could you be the next Paralympic Star of the future?

Dartford Judo Club is setting up classes for children and adults with visual impairments, potentially unearthing Paralympic stars of the future.

The aim is to introduce these youngsters and adults to the sport and to integrate them into mainstream classes as they progress.

Any visually impaired Judo players that take part in this new scheme will benefit from the state-of-the-art facilities and top class coaching that will help develop them into confident, successful adults and perhaps even Paralympic stars of the future.

The scheme will rely on the support and sponsorship of the British Judo Association and local businesses and the community.

Dartford Judo Club is the UK's first and only purpose built, state-of-the-art Judo facility. With the British Judo Association now using the Club in preparation for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and a proud tradition of winning medals and trophies both at home and abroad, Dartford Judo Club is fast becoming the home of British Judo.

Dartford Judo Club is also the headquarters for visually impaired and blind Judo for the South East of England.

Beijing Paralympics

At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, Team ParalympicsGB took a team of four Judo players, one of which came from Dartford Judo Club. For London 2012 Team ParalympicsGB hopes to take a full squad of 14 players to the Games. Dartford Judo Club wants to be at the heart of this development for visually impaired and blind Judo.

If you or anyone you know is visually impaired or blind and would like to know more about this new scheme please contact Lee Quilter on tel : 01322 222071

For more information about disability sport within Kent please visit our disability pages

 

Young Kent Swimmers target the Paralympics

Two Kent swimmers from Herne Bay and Maidstone took centre stage at the Nationwide Building Society sponsored Disability Sport Events (DSE) National Junior Swimming Championships in Sheffield on 7 and 8 March 2009.

Alfie Goldsmith,14, from Broomfield, near Herne Bay took part in his 2nd National Junior Swimming Championships and put in a stunning performance. He won all 11 races, coming home with 11 gold medals plus 2 silver medals from the team relay events.

Alfie also secured 11 new personal best times and was named Nationwide Outstanding Male Swimmer, which gives him a trophy and a grant of £200 which he will receive later in the year, at the DSE National Awards.

Alfie is hoping that the successful weekend will secure his International Disability Swimming classification, and spring-board him on to international swimming, and ultimately the Paralympics.

Alexandra Adams, 15, from Maidstone won 6 of her 7 races and also secured a new personal best time in the 50m butterfly. Alexandra is an athlete supported by Kent County Council, under the Talented Athlete Scheme and is still hopeful to secure a place in the GB Swimming Squad and London 2012 Paralympic Games.

For more information on Alexandra and Kent’s other Talented Athletes please follow this link

 

International Success for Kent gymnast at Austrian ‘Future Cup’

Courtney Tulloch, who trains at Pegasus Gymnastics Club in Bearsted, flew to Austria at the end of November with the British Gymnastics Team to compete in the prestigious international team event to support the development of future stars.

His recent rise in national rankings saw him selected to compete in the under 16 category despite being only just 13. Well prepared and rising to the challenge, Courtney notched up a superb end to the year with excellent routines on all apparatus to gain the top execution marks in his age group, finishing 5th in the large and highly talented field of older boys.

His national team mates also came up trumps taking the team to Silver medal position in this International team event, ahead of Belgium, with Japan in the Gold medal position.

Kent would like to wish Courtney all the best in his future development and hope he can be just as successful at the London 2012 Games!

Pegasus Gymnastics Club has been awarded the Sport England Clubmark and British Gymnastics Gym Mark for recognised excellence and has been included in the official London 2012 guide as a potential Pre Games Training Camps for the London Olympics. Guests from Slovenia enjoyed an early test of the facilities during their visit in June 08.

For more information on Pegasus Gymnastics Club please follow the link here or you can email info@pegasusgc.org

 

School Children delight at arrival of Latvian Sitting Volleyball Team

Pupils from Wyvern School and North School in Ashford got to meet and train with members of the Latvian Sitting Volleyball Team that competed in the Beijing 08 Paralympics Games.

On Friday 5 December the team were escorted around Kent by Tom Middleton, the Kent County Council Associate Officer for Sitting Volleyball.

The first destination was Wyvern School where the Latvian team competed against Kent’s own Invicta Hell Hounds who put up a close performance against the Latvians.

Pupils and staff embraced the opportunity to take part in an open coaching session and game scenarios. A wonderful morning for the Wyvern School was complete when the Latvian team joined the children for lunch in the school canteen and answered any questions the children had.

A highlight of the morning came when the Wyvern Music teacher sang the Latvian national anthem back to the players as a thankyou!
This act of friendship was greatly appreciated by the Paralympians from Beijing.

The squad also travelled to North School in Ashford and there again featured a match which was watched by 150 staff and pupils. Children again joined in with the training session and asked questions of the Latvians’ experiences from Beijing.

The Latvian Sitting Volleyball Team gave a memorable experience to all the children involved and there are plans to invite them back to Kent next year to take part in similar events to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2009.

For more information contact thomas@middleton2012.freeserve.co.uk