Our supporting partners, ActivLives, held the third ActivLives Inclusive Boccia Tournament recently in Stowmarket. The event attracted 40 competitors, most of whom are local and play regularly with ActivLives in Suffolk. There were also a small number of athletes who travelled up from the south and west of England to compete. There were over 75 people attending the event during the course of the day.

The sport of Boccia is played whilst sitting down, and as a result is particularly suitable for players with a disability. The ActivLives tournament consisted of four divisions, or mini-leagues, where players competed in pairs, or in teams of three, in a round-robin format. Three of these divisions were specifically for athletes with an intellectual disability, with one division for athletes with a physical disability.   

“We have seen some brilliant boccia played today”, said Mike McCarthy, from ActivLives. “It is a real treat to see athletes with such a wide variety of abilities and experience, competing in the same tournament – for many of the players, today was their first formal competition opportunity. In addition to the athletes, the other stars at these events are our team of volunteers, without whom these events just wouldn’t be possible”.

ActivLives would like to thank everyone involved with this event including the athletes and their families and supporters, the brilliant team of volunteers, supporting partners including Special Olympics Suffolk, Special Olympics GB, and the Suffolk Community Foundation, and the centre hosts, Everyone Active.

If you would like to find out more about how to get involved with boccia in the Stowmarket or Ipswich areas, please call ActivLives on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk    

Once again, athletes from Special Olympics Suffolk competed beyond the County boundary – this time crossing the border to Norfolk where they took part in the Eastern Region Summer Series of Sport.

Over one hundred Special Olympics athletes from North London, West Midlands, St Albans, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and descended on the Sports Park at UEA, Norwich on Saturday 28th June competing in football and athletics regional competitions. Special Olympics GB sanctioned the event and Active Norfolk and Special Olympics Norfolk and Suffolk co-hosted the event and the facilities at the Sports Park were superb.

Temperatures soared but that didn’t deter our athletes as they competed fiercely on track and field, bring a well-deserved clutch of medals back to Suffolk.

As always, it take much preparation, hard work and dedication to put on an event such as this and special thanks go to our Athlete Leader Donna, SO badminton player and volunteer Ed, athletics and football officials, 40+ volunteers, coaches, team managers and supporters without whom this event would not have been possible.