Sporting chance

International ambition: Wheelchair fencing was one of nine disciplines available to try at the British Paralympic Association taster day held at Aldershot

Report: Stephen Tyler
Picture: Graeme Main

WOUNDED soldiers are being given the chance to discover their Paralympic potential at a series of disabled sports taster days.

Visitors to the sessions, which are being run by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and Army Sports Control Board, can try their hands at disciplines ranging from shooting and basketball to tennis and cycling.

And although it may be too late for any newcomers to make the Beijing Paralympics, BPA performance manager Justine Willmott is confident that the Armed Forces will be well represented by the time the Games come to London in 2012.

“This is an opportunity for injured Service personnel to participate in a good range of Paralympic sports,” Willmott told SoldierSport during the latest talent-spotting session at Aldershot. “We are looking towards 2012 and identifying the talent out there, but these sessions are also important because taking part in sport is a good rehabilitation tool.

“We could have tried to push people through for this year, but it’s a lot of pressure. This is high-level sport and it requires a lot of commitment.

“Paralympic sport has come a long way since it was founded and you are now looking at world-class athletes who are often training full-time. It is also attracting more funding and coverage.”

Soldiers attending the talent identification events are given expert coaching in each event and advice on what to do if they want to make progress in the discipline.

National bodies from each sport, including the Disability Target Shooting Club and British Volleyball Federation, are also involved to help coordinate future participation.

With the first two taster days successfully completed, Willmott said she is happy to be able to tap into the sporting talent available from within the Armed Forces.

“It’s certainly true that athletes from the Services are used to being in a controlled, disciplined environment and are able to put themselves out of their comfort zones,” she said. “They are already good physical specimens and are used to training, so you immediately have that base level to build on.

“When you already have a disposition where you want to train and achieve then you are immediately going to hold a significant advantage.”

sport shorts

CRICKETERS from the Army and Royal Navy are marking the 100th anniversary of their teams’ first encounter by playing at Lord’s, the world’s most famous ground.
Dignitaries including the Princess Royal will be in attendance at Marylebone Cricket Club for the match, which gets underway at 1100 on Tuesday, July 29.
Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s and over 65s and can be purchased from Col (Retd) Peter Sharland on 01252 348570 or aca@ascb.uk.com, or Lt Cdr David Cooke RN on 02392 723741 or rnso4@a.dii.mod.uk

FEMALE ice hockey players are being invited to sign up for a fledgling tri-Service team.
Sgt Sarah Caswell wants to hear from new players regardless of their skill level ahead of a potential training camp later this year.
For more information, contact Sgt Caswell on 94329 4260.

ARMY basketballers netted an on-court double after winning the men’s and women’s Warrior Weekend tournament titles at Aldershot.
SSgt Bev Bates (AGC (SPS)) starred as the women defeated Wessex 60-48 and Solent 64-48 to come out on top.
A 91-58 victory for the men over Wessex was followed by a 85-73 reverse against Solent, but the Army Warriors took the title on points difference.
Aldershot also hosted the Army championships, which saw 6 Sp Regt edge out 1 RSME 75-69 in a closely-fought major units final.
The women’s title went to 25 Trg Sp Regt thanks to a 44-23 win over 11 Lt Bde, while 1 AAC defeated 33 Fld Hosp in the minor units competition.

WHILE thousands of runners pounded the streets of London during last month’s marathon, a British soldier was completing his own 26-mile race in Afghanistan.
Undeterred by the heat and dust, paratrooper and commando-trained Maj Al Jarvis, of 23 Engineer Regiment, completed 38 laps of Lashkar Gah military base wearing his Osprey body armour to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund.
Speaking after completing the event, Jarvis said: “It was quite tough going at times but I pushed through.”
To make a donation to his fund, visit www.justgiving.com/bodyarmourmarathon

ANGLING May 5-9 – Alderney event (Weymouth); 11 – National biathlon championships (Macclesfield); 12-13 – Inter-Services selection (Somerton); 14 – Inter-Services coarse championships (Somerton). ATHLETICS May 7 – Army v Loughborough (Loughborough); 14 – Army road relays (RMAS); Inter-Services v Loughborough (Loughborough); 22-23 – Inter-Services and Army heptathlon and decathlon championships (HMS Temeraire). BOXING May 9 – Combined Services ABA senior finals (London). CANOEING May 2 – Inter-Services marathon championships (Nottingham); 3-4 – Inter-Services sprint championships (Nottingham); 16-18 – Army canoe surf championships (Saunton Sands); 29-30 – LAND Command slalom championships (Llandysul); 31-June 1 – Army slalom championships (Llandysul). CRICKET May 1-2 – Army trials (Dummer and Aldershot); 9 – Army women v Cambridge (Cambridge); 18 – Army women v Cheltenham (Cheltenham); 19-20 – Trials (Dummer and Aldershot); 21 – Army U25 v RMAS (Sandhurst); 22 – Army v Civil Service (Aldershot). CYCLING May 3-4 – Time trial series round four (East district); 6 – Road race summer series (Upavon); 10 – NPX mountain bike cross country round two (Drumlanrig); 13 – Road race summer series (Upavon);18 – Southern cross country round three (Ringwood); 20 – Road race summer series (Upavon); 25 – National 10 mile time trial championships (South district); 27 – Road race summer series (Upavon). EQUITATION May 10 – Corps, regimental and Inter-Services show team jumping (Windsor); 24 – Spring horse show individual show jumping and eventing trial (RMAS). FENCING May 11 – Isle of Wight open (Isle of Wight). FOOTBALL May 21 – Six-a-side tournament (Aldershot). GOLF May 9 – Army women v Trevose Golf Club (Trevose); 19-21 – Army open championship (West Lancs Golf Club). HANG GLIDING May 2-6 – British Open Series round one (Long Mynd); 3-5 – Snowdonia round (Snowdonia); 23-26 – South east Wales round (Wales). HOCKEY May 10-11 – England hockey county championships (TBC). MARTIAL ARTS May 9-11 – Judo training camp (Pontins Brean);15-16 – Army team selection (Aldershot); 17 – High Wycombe masters (High Wycombe); 31 – Northern Ireland judo open (TBC). POLO May 2-4 – RAF Cranwell weekend (RAF Cranwell); 24 – Army coaching course (Tidworth). ROWING May 4 – Wallingford regatta (Wallingford); 30 – Army novice regatta (Dorney). RUGBY LEAGUE May 2 – Army nines v Cheltenham nines (Cheltenham); 7 – Army academy v RAF Regiment (Aldershot); 24 – RATS v Gosport veterans (Gosport); 28 – Army v Fire Service (Yorkshire). RUGBY UNION May 3 – Army v Royal Navy (Twickenham); Tbc – Ledbury and Newcastle rugby sevens. SAILING May 2-4 – RORC Cervantes and Commodores Cup training (Solent); 5-9 – Army offshore regatta (Solent); 15-16 – Inter-Services dinghy team championships (Farmoor); 16-18 – RORC De Guingand Bowl (Solent); 23-26 – RORC Myth of Malham (Channel); 31-June 1 – Inshore training (Solent). SHOOTING May 3-4 – Target rifle open meeting (Bisley); 3-5 – ESSU small bore championships (Bisley); 9 – Army target pistol championships (Bisley); 10-11 – Army Target Shooting Club open meeting (Bisley); 17 – Army small bore v Scotland (Ash); Inter-Services target pistol championships (Bisley); 17-18 – Great Britain Olympic trap selection shoot (Bisley); Olympic skeet selection shoot (Beverley); Double trap selection shoot (Beverley); 18 – Army small bore v England v Police Sport UK (Bisley); Combined Services target pistol v Great Britain (Bisley); Army target rifle v NLRC (Bisley); 23-26 – Target pistol Phoenix meeting (Bisley). SPORT CLIMBING May 30 – Army championships (Merthyr Tydfil). SURFING May 30-June 2 – Summer meet (Bude). SWIMMING May 21 – BA(G) team and individual championships (Rheindahlen); Northern area championships (Catterick). TRIATHLON May 28 – Army sprint championships (South Cerney). WATER POLO May 21 – Army v Cranleigh (Aldershot). WINDSURFING May 12-16 – Forces open (Hayling).

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