Special Olympics Surrey Comes To Guildford Spectrum

On Tuesday 25 February 2014 Special Olympics Surrey (SOS) held a free ‘taster day’ at Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre for special needs athletes of all ages to try out different sports, raise awareness of Special Olympics and look at opportunities to develop Special Olympics across Surrey.

An amazing 120 special needs athletes from all parts of Surrey pre-registered for the taster event, and on the day this number was exceeded when 155 actually turned up. A few knew each other from the Special Olympics Games held in Bath in 2013 where Surrey athletes won 48 medals, so it was a case of new friends made as well as old friends reunited.

It was an all day session with three sports that the athletes sampled. Boccia is a seated variation of the French game ‘boules’ where two teams of three players compete to get the maximum number of red or blue balls closest to the ‘jack’. Ten Pin Bowling proved a major success with strikes galore and skittles flying. The final event was track cycling with special thanks to Matthew and team from Surrey Wheels for All who brought a full selection of bikes and instructors allowing everyone to have a go.

Special Olympics Surrey aims to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities. We provide our athletes with continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of skills, gifts and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Kingston Council founded the Inspire initiative a decade ago to improve the lives of special needs young people and adults in the borough. Inspire Sport has grown out of this initiative to offer exercise and sports training for people with special needs and to feed into the very successful Special Olympics Surrey team.

Sandie Barker, Head of Development, Special Olympics Surrey said:

‘It was an amazing day; I was absolutely delighted with the turn out. To see the athletes trying out the sports and coming away with smiles on their faces and doing ‘high fives’ said it all. The feedback from the athletes, carers/teachers was very positive. Days like this are so important to raise the awareness of opportunities that are available for people with special needs across Surrey. I hope to build on this and get more groups and individuals signed up to SOS. The day wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our volunteers; they did a fantastic job I couldn’t have asked for more’.

Maggie North, Head of Coaching and Development, Inspire Sport said:

“What a brilliant day, so many athletes trying out sports they hadn’t done before.  It was obvious that they all had such a good time.  I hope that these athletes will now attend INSPIRE sessions at Chessington which offers multi sports for all disabilities.  We all know that being more physically active promotes increased fitness and a healthier wellbeing but also at INSPIRE we promote friendships and fun.”

View the media from the day:

See video clips at www.inspire-sport.co.uk 

See a full gallery of pictures

Contacts:

Sandie Barker – Head of Development, Special Olympics Surrey

Email: sandie@sosurrey.org

 

Maggie North – Head of Coaching and Development, Inspire Sport 

Email: maggienorth@inspire-sport.co.uk

 

Chris Burchill - Membership and Communications, Inspire Sport

Email: chrisburchill@inspire-sport.co.uk

Mobile: 07772  214  460