Inclusive Athletics Club Cultivates Emerging Talent in Ipswich

Emphasizing the importance of providing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities, the Orwell Panthers Athletics Club in Ipswich distinguishes itself by nurturing emerging sports talent. Established two decades ago, the club was founded to provide a dedicated group for those with physical and mental disabilities. Currently comprising 19 athletes, the club convenes on Wednesday evenings at Northgate Sports Centre. While participation in competitions is not mandatory, 14-year-old Morgan, who joined three months ago, is diligently training with aspirations to compete in more wheelchair races next year. “I joined because I wanted to get back into wheelchair racing and what I’ve done over the last three months is fantastic,” he explained. “What the club has given me as well is fantastic. I’m looking forward to spending more time here.” He added, “I’ve improved in racing wheelchair, I’ve improved in some other sports they do here and when I came here I couldn’t do most of that, so I’ve got to say thank you to the club.” Morgan described the group as a community that has facilitated new friendships for him. Ian Ling, the lead coach for the past six years, noted that each athlete has a unique personal motivation for their attendance. “Some will come here because they want to do athletics, some will come because it’s another social event to do,” he said. He continued, “[There’s] loads and loads of enjoyment and hopefully smiles on their faces while they’re doing it and smiles when they leave.” Ling concluded, “That then puts a smile on my face and if they come back week after week then obviously I’m doing something right.” Mr Ling observed that locating inclusive clubs locally often presents a challenge. Nevertheless, he expressed his belief that Orwell Panthers is “helping lives” and extended an invitation to anyone interested, regardless of their desire to compete. “We’re hopefully making their lives more enjoyable and giving them something fun to do,” he added. Rhys Ford, 21, commutes from Leiston to participate in the club’s training sessions. Having been a member for a couple of years, he finds enjoyment in competing in the long jump, 200m sprint, and the relay race. When questioned about his reasons for attending the club, he responded: “[It’s] just the atmosphere and getting to see new people, making new friends and just enjoying it.” He further stated, “[Everybody] is very friendly and very caring. We all have laughs.” Mr Ford commented that the coaching team is “really supportive,” and he has observed significant personal improvement, which has resulted in several competition victories. Fabienne, aged 10, recently joined the club, and her most cherished aspect is the new friendships she has already formed. She expressed enjoyment for the running component, stating she likes to run “really far.” “I love the jumping,” she added. She recounted, “I’ve done one competition. It was a really big competition with lots of people, I won three gold medals in running, throwing and jumping.” She extended her gratitude to the coaching staff and the broader team for their support since her enrollment. Matthew Foulger, 30, serves as an assistant coach, a position he has held for four and a half years, and has been a member of Orwell Panthers for 20 years. He specializes in disability throwing and has guided athletes through other track events, such as shot put. Mr Foulger also contributes by officiating at competitions. He stated that his motivation for returning was “seeing all the athletes progress and having different opportunities to compete in abled body competitions, disabled body competitions, and worldwide.” Hamish Crawford, 20, has been attending the Orwell Panthers for 12 years, having been inspired by the London 2012 Paralympic Games and British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft. “Hannah Cockroft got me thinking, ‘I want to do that’, and I’ve competed at Lee Valley and a few other places,” he explained. He added, “It gives me a bit of down time from college work because college work is quite busy.” “It’s one of the things where I can just switch off, talk to my friends, coaches and talk about football as well,” he concluded. He praised the club for its effectiveness in helping get “people with disabilities active.” Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.