National Special Olympics Gymnastics Competition at Waveney Gymnastics Club 

Waveney Gymnastics Club, in conjunction with Special Olympics Suffolk, hosted a National Special Olympics Gymnastics Competition which, in addition to the host club, attracted teams from across the country and from as far away as Jersey and Glasgow. In the days prior to the competition the club held a Gymnastics Camp which included specialist coaching across the range of disciplines including floor, rings, pommel, vault, beam, high bar, asymmetric and parallel bars.

Coming from places as far afield as Glasgow, Hull, Worcestershire, Norfolk, Devon and indeed Jersey, the visiting teams and their coaches were hugely impressed by the Olympic standard facilities at the Notley Road Club, facilities which were used by international teams including Team GB in the lead in to the London 2012 Olympics. As most of the clubs cannot offer such facilities the Camp and Competition provided an ideal training and competition opportunity in preparation for the 2017 Special Olympics Great Britain National Summer Games in Sheffield. The standard of performance was excellent as the host team battled it out against some of the best Special Olympics gymnasts from across GB and indeed beyond.

The judges included people who have judged at the highest levels nationally and internationally including some who have judged at a number of Special Olympics World Games. Among the special guests attending was Councillor Nick Webb, Mayor of Lowestoft and South Lowestoft and Suffolk County Council Member, Bill Montford, who contributed greatly to the presentations .

Event Organiser from the host club, Ellen Hutchings said ‘’This was the first time the club has organised a national level Special Olympics Gymnastics competition and hopefully this, coupled with the Camp, will encourage everyone to return next year as this was the start of what is intended to be an annual event’’

Terry McEntee, Chair of Special Olympics Suffolk, says ‘Great credit must go to Waveney Gymnastics Club, whose staff and volunteers drew great praise from those attending and taking part which was a great advert for Lowestoft, Waveney and Suffolk’’

Badminton Tournament Volunteering Opportunity

Special Olympics Suffolk is hosting the inaugural Eastern Region Doubles Badminton Tournament in Ipswich (Suffolk One 6^th Form College), on Saturday 22^nd April. The event will be held between 9am-5pm. We are particularly keen to hear from potential volunteers who have a basic understanding of badminton rules and how to keep score.

If you would like to join our team of volunteers for the day please contact Don Golding at don.golding@btinternet.com for more information.

We are very honoured to welcome our Special Olympics Suffolk Patron – Bill Tancred

Bill Tancred is a leading sports administrator, academic and former international athlete and coach. He competed at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics in the discus and won bronze and silver medals in successive Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974.

He was the British National discus champion on ten occasions and broke the British record 19 times; the las stood for 25 years with his personal best being 64.94m in 1974.

Bill was a former regular soldier with the 1st East Anglian regiment and the Army Physical Training Corps. After military service in Aden and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he attended Loughborough and West Virginia Universities, the latter on a N.A.T.O. Fellowship. As an academic he has taught in schools, polytechnics and Universities and held the position of Professor of Sport and Exercise science.

A former Chairman of Suffolk Sport, he is now Patron of Inspire Suffolk and Special Olympics Suffolk

He was awarded an MBE for services to athletics in 1992`

WELCOME BILL

SOS would like to say a huge welcome to  Two new Special Olympics Team members. The Vice Chair: Tina Laker and Treasurer: David Birkby. Two great additions to the Special Olympics team and a great chance for us to make even more positive changes within disability sport across Suffolk. More to come from both Tina and David.

On Monday the 6th February our Special Olympics Suffolk badminton players attended the Suffolk Saxons last home match of the season against the University of Nottingham – held in Ipswich – in the AJ Bell National Badminton League.

The athletes had a great evening presenting the #SOGB pennant to Andy Ellis, who is the captain of the Suffolk Saxons. This was a huge moment for our athletes and something we are all really proud of.

A huge thanks to Mike McCarthy, who is our lead badminton coach for making this happen.

The next big date for our local players (and volunteers), is Saturday 22nd April when we will be hosting the inaugural Eastern Region Doubles Badminton Tournament at Suffolk One. We hope to attract players from around the country for this event, it will serve as a qualifier for the SOGB National Summer Games being held in Sheffield in August.