Path to Success campaign sponsors disabled sportswomen
In celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2018, leading disability charity Path to Success has announced the launch of a new campaign 'Path to Tokyo' to support talented British disabled sportswomen, as they seek to achieve their dreams of Paralympic Gold.
Path to Success will provide sponsorship for women competing in four major sports, Para-Equestrian Dressage, Para-Powerlifting, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis - with further sponsorship announcements to follow later this year.
The Path to Tokyo initiative will provide financial support for disabled sportswomen who need funding to pursue their dream of competing for a medal at the Paralympic Games.
The first athletes to benefit from the Path to Tokyo campaign with immediate effect are Para-Powerlifter Louise Sugden, 33, and London Titans Wheelchair Basketball player Sophie Patterson, 19. Both will receive funding towards coaching, training, travel costs, and specialised sports wheelchairs as they pursue their goal of representing Team GB in 2020.
Louise Sugden is already experienced at international level, she has won five European Championship bronze medals and represented Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and London 2012 as part of the GB Wheelchair Basketball side. She has recently changed discipline to move into Para-Powerlifting, recently representing Great Britain at the World Championships in Mexico.
Sophie Patterson, said:
“The sponsorship that Path to Success has awarded me is a life-changing chance which will give me the opportunity to take my game to the next level. It means that I will not have to cut corners to make ends meet and I can access everything that I need to become the player that I am capable of being. Next stop Tokyo!”
Despite the success of London 2012 Paralympics in raising the profile of sport for disabled people in the UK and team GB’s second-placed finish in Rio 2016, many para-athletes remain seriously underfunded, meaning they are forced to give up on their dreams if they cannot generate their own funding.
Anita Choudhrie, founder of Path to Success, said:
“In the years that Path to Success has supported athletes with disability, I have always been inspired by the skill, determination and positive attitude taken by those who we support. Our mission is to secure the legacy of disability sport in the UK, and to inspire a new generation of British female Paralympic stars. If we can change the world of one person, then this campaign will be a success.”
