Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics

Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics
an Associate club of Special Olympics GB
NEWS 2010

January 2010

MASONIC BOOST
On a very cold and snowy January evening, Sophie and Jason were ‘able to’ accept a cheque for Ł500 from Worshipful Brothers Jeff Fisher and John Davies of the Three Roses Lodge 7110.  The donation was given from the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund (Masonic Charities) to help purchase tracksuits and other sports uniform for the Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics Group.

Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics is a newly formed Group who train three times a week at Featherstone Sports Centre and Pool.  The athletes at Able2 compete in swimming, boccia, new age kurling, athletics and equestrian events at Regional and National level.

Group Chairman, Steve Peace, said “We are very grateful for the generous donation from the Masons.  The uniforms will help to give our athletes a great sense of unity and pride in their Group.”

Sophie and Jason with other members of Able2
receiving the cheque from Jeff Fisher and John Davies

February 2010

GOLDEN KURLS
Four members of Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics are celebrating after each winning gold at the inaugural Special Olympics Yorkshire and Humberside Kurling Championships.  Jason, Sophie, Oliver and Richard represented Able2 at the event, which took place at Featherstone Sports Centre, on Saturday 13th February.

New Age Kurling (spelt with a ‘k’) is similar to the Winter Olympic sport of ice curling.  Players aim to place their stones closest to the centre of a target.  However, New Age Kurling is played on any smooth floor and the stones run on ball bearing ‘wheels’.

Richard competed in the Senior Division for players using a ramp and claimed first place.  Sophie won gold in the Junior Wheelchair Division.  Both demonstrated great accuracy and game tactics to claim their titles.

In the Junior Division, Jason won gold.  Oliver also delivered some great shots to become Youth Champion.

Kurling Champions: Richard, Jason, Oliver and Sophie
All four members of Able2 Pontefract qualified to represent Yorkshire and Humberside at the National Special Olympics Kurling Championships at Widnes in July.

The event also trialed the new Kurling Awards Scheme, developed by Fiona Hall (Federation of Disability Sports Organisations), Steve Greatorex (Wakefield Able2 Sports) and Steve Peace (Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics). Many athletes successfully completed the first level award.

CITY OF HULL SWIMMING GALA
Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics took three swimmers to the City Of Hull Swimming Gala at Beverley Leisure Centre on 27th February. Other teams attending were from the Yorkshire and Humberside region along with a team from the Netherlands.

$Able2 Pontefract swimmers: Oliver, Sophie and Jason$
Able2 Pontefract swimmers: Oliver, Sophie and Jason

Our swimmers all won medals and achieved personal bests in several races:
Sophie - 25m freestyle 39.4sec (2nd),  50m freestyle 1min 26.03sec (2nd)
Jason - 25m freestyle 25.53sec (1st),  50m backstroke 1min 8.47sec (1st)
Oliver - 25m breaststroke 24.34sec (1st),  50m breaststroke 54.91sec (4th)

March 2010

YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE BOCCIA
On 13th March, Sophie, Richard and Oliver represented Able2 Pontefract at the Special Olympics boccia championships at Richard Dunn Leisure Centre, Bradford.

Eighteen teams from around the region competed in mini-leagues during the morning session. After lunch, teams went through to play off for the medals. Able2, who were unbeaten all day, faced a team from Thorne in the final. After losing a point in the first end, Able2 dominated the rest of the match, winning convincingly by 13 points to 1 to claim first place and the gold medals.

Sophie, Richard and Oliver are all hoping to be selected to join the Yorkshire & Humberside squad to compete at the Special Olympics National Boccia Championships to be held in Widnes in the autumn.

FUNDRAISING NEWS
$Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics athletes in their new kit$
Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics would like to thank the following for their generous donations towards the purchase of uniform and kit for our athletes:

GMB at Work
Wakefield Metropolitan District Schools' Sports Federation

Thanks also go to Colette and Chris for negotiating a fantastic deal at the uniform suppliers. Our athletes now have a kit comprising of: tracksuit, 2 polo shirts, hooded top, waterproof jacket and kit bag. We have already had several comments, at recent events, about how smart our athletes look.

April 2010

ATHLETICS
Sophie, Richard, Jason and Oliver took part in the Sheffield Festival of Athletics at Don Valley Stadium on 18th April. The event gave our athletes opportunity to compete in a large stadium and get up-to-date times and distances for the new season.

Able2 athletes at the Sheffield Festival of Athletics

June 2010

ATHLETICS
Sarah S joined our athletics team to compete in the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Athletics Competition. The event took place on 26th June at Huntington Stadium, York. Teams from the Yorkshire region attended along with some from further away such as Northumberland and Wrexham in Wales. The sun shone all day but the cluster of 15 medals won by the Pontefract team shone even brighter!

Jason won a silver medal in the standing long jump and bronzes in the 50m run and javelin. Sophie took the gold medal in the 50m wheelchair race and silver in the javelin. Oliver won gold in the standing long jump and three silver medals in the softball throw, 100m run and relay. Richard finished in second place to win silver in the 50m walk and earned bronze medals in the softball throw and javelin. New member, Sarah S, competed in her first event for Able2 and took home a full set of medals – gold in the softball throw, silver in the javelin and a bronze in the 50m run.

July 2010

SWIMMING
Four members of Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics competed in the Sheffield Otters' Swimming Gala at Stocksbridge Leisure Centre on Sunday 4th July. Congratulations to all our team members, who swam against some very tough competitors. Jason was on top form that day and won 3 gold medals.

Swimming results:
Jason – 50m backstroke 1min 04.31sec (1st),  50m freestyle 56.69sec (1st),  25m freestyle 25.69sec (1st)
Oliver - 50m breaststroke 52.68sec (3rd),  25m breaststroke 23.56sec (2nd),  25m freestyle 23.04sec
Sophie - 50m freestyle 1min 30.59sec,  25m freestyle 38.72sec
Sarah S – 50m freestyle 1min 06.37sec (2nd),  25m freestyle 23.9sec (1st),  25m breaststroke 30.12sec

August 2010

LIONS SPORTS DAY
Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics athletes were invited to the Lions Sports Day at Sandall Park, Doncaster on Saturday 7th August. Sarah S and Oliver represented our club.

Athletes took part in a variety of games and sports activities such as precision and distance throwing, mini-golf, fishing and darts.

Target throw

Mini-golf

Special guests included the ‘Stig’ from Top Gear. Athletes were scored at each event and the overall winner of each game was presented with an Event Winner trophy at the closing ceremony.

Oliver meets ‘Stig’
Sarah was the overall winner in the ladies’ weightlifting event and Oliver won the basketball shoot-out.

Trophy winners Sarah and Oliver

October 2010

EQUESTRIAN
Oliver spent 3 days in Cheshire with the Yorkshire and Humberside Equestrian Squad during October half term. The 9 members of the squad took on teams from England and Scotland at the Wirral Riding Centre. The team spent 2 nights at Burton Manor College.

Prize winning rider

Oliver rode a great pony called Billy from the Wirral Riding Centre.  Oliver had never ridden Billy before and had only a few minutes to get to know him before competing.

Oliver’s first event was Dressage.  He was able to make Billy perform all the moves at the correct paces and won the silver medal.  In the Horse Care and Knowledge test, Oliver scored 100% to win the gold medal.  The Equitation test involved following instructions and making the pony change pace and direction.  Oliver and Billy took the bronze medal in this class.  For his effort and determination over the three days, Oliver was presented with a huge rosette.

Special Olympics Equestrian is for riders of all abilities.  There are divisions for riders who compete at walk only and may have a leader.  Other riders take part in dressage with canter and Prix Caprilli (dressage with show jumping).

Dressage

Equitation

November 2010

SWIMMING
Our Special Olympics swimmers have started completing their 'Swim Challenge Awards'. These encouragement awards allow swimmers and their parents/coaches to set achievable challenges - these could be anything from swimming one length to swimming a mile, or swimming a set distance within a certain time.

$SO Pontefract Swim Challenge$

The first round of Swimming Challenge medals were awarded in November:

Jason	100m individual medley
Oliver	100m individual medley,	1000m breaststroke
Sophie	50m backstroke
Thomas	25m breaststroke,	25m freestyle
James P	50m freestyle
Richard	25m freestyle
James T	25m freestyle
Jessica	freestyle endeavour

Congratulations to all our swimmers - they will have the chance to gain more challenge medals in the coming weeks. A very special 'well done' goes to James T who swam his first ever length to gain his freestyle medal.

Three swimmers from Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics competed in the North of England Swimming Gala at Harrogate on Saturday 13th November. Our team members all achieved personal best times in one, or both of their individual races and narrowly missed winning the gold medals in the relay by one second! New member, Thomas, was competing in his first Special Olympics swimming gala and won 2 gold medals in his individual races – superb!

Swimming results:
Jason - 50m freestyle 52.68s (GOLD),  25m freestyle 22.88s (SILVER)
Sophie - 50m backstroke 89.97s (SILVER),  25m freestyle 32.47s (GOLD)
Thomas - 25m freestyle 38.53s (GOLD),  25m breaststroke 40.56s (GOLD)
4x25m relay - 123.66s (SILVER)

$SO Pontefract Swim Squad$

NATIONAL ROTARY GAMES
Four members of Able2 Pontefract Special Olympics competed in the 29th Rotary Sports Team Championship.  The event took place at the Xcel Leisure Centre in Coventry during the weekend of 13th/14th November.  Our athletes were part of the Wakefield Team.

Jessica had a very busy weekend competing in the kurling, weightlifting, pitstop, table tennis and slalom events.  At the closing ceremony, Jessica was presented with a special award for her enthusiasm and effort.

James P took part in the weightlifting, table tennis, pitstop and team swimming events.   Most of these events were new to James but he performed with determination and joy.

Sarah S also competed in table tennis for the first time and battled through to the quarterfinals.  Sarah’s other event was the swimming leg of the team triathlon.

Oliver, competing at the games for the third time, was a member of the boccia team who were undefeated for the entire weekend and won the overall event.  Oliver also took part in the team swimming, triathlon swimming and table tennis.

The Wakefield team finished in 5th place.

Jessica, James P, Sarah S and Oliver with Steve P

Jessica, James P, Sarah S and Oliver with Steve P

Able2 Pontefract SO group photo at the Closing Ceremony

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