Have a go at Paralympic sports at the Manchester Sports Fest
Twenty-four summer and winter Paralympic sports are set to attend the next ParalympicsGB Sports Fest, a free multi-sport event to be held at Sportcity in Manchester on Monday May 19, 2014.
Every one of the National Governing Bodies for Paralympic sports with the exception of Wheelchair Curling will have a presence at the event, ensuring that attendees will get the chance to have a go or learn more about any one of over 20 Paralympic sports, all under one roof.
ParalympicsGB’s most successful summer Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, and record-setting winter Paralympian Kelly Gallagher will both be in attendance at the event to sign autographs, have their photos taken and show off their medals to participants.
For the first time ever at a Sports Fest, there will also be the opportunity for disabled people who have been inspired by the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games to try out Alpine Skiing at the nearby Chill Factore.
Marc Scott, Development Officer for Boccia England, will be one of the sports representatives coming to Manchester for Sports Fest. He said:
“Boccia England see great value in attending Sports Fest as a way of introducing Boccia to a wide range of new participants who can experience the game for the first time and be taught how to play by experienced coaches and be signposted into local clubs or activities. Boccia is growing fast and events like these only help us to spread the word and increase the numbers playing even more.”
Helen Blaney from the GB Rowing Team will be in attendance to represent Rowing. She said:
"The Sheffield Sports Fest led to us taking a new female rower onto our performance programme. We're excited to see if any aspiring rowers walk through the door in Manchester."
And Alasdair Donaldson, Paralympic Talent and Development Manager for British Triathlon, said:
“We are really excited to come to the Manchester Sports Fest event. It gives us the opportunity to engage with the community and help grow the sport of Para-Triathlon. One of the athletes we met at the Worcester event is now a member of our talent squad.”
Penny Briscoe, Director for Sport at the BPA, commented:
“We have over 20 summer and winter Paralympic sports coming to Sports Fest so that there are plenty of opportunities for disabled people to have a go at a variety of different activities. We know from experience that many people turn up with just one or two sports in mind but often leave Sports Fest with lots of ideas about things they want to try at their local clubs. Having so many sports in one place means that there are even more chances for people to be inspired and to take up something that they might never have considered before.”
Sports Fest in Manchester will be the fourth of the London 2012-inspired come-and-try events hosted by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and supported by National Governing Bodies. So far, nearly 2,000 attendees have come through the doors of events held across the country since London 2012.
Sports Fest promises attendees the chance to ‘meet the medallists, try the sports, get inspired’ and they can participate in a number of activities, including come-and-try sessions for Paralympic summer and winter sports as well as meet the medallists sessions, where they can put their questions to athletes, have their photos taken and get autographs.
