Youth Sport Trust Project Ability Manager Rachel Bown


My name is Rachel Bown & I am the Youth Sport Trust Project Ability Manager for Swindon & Wiltshire based at Larkrise Special School in Trowbridge.


The project aims to increase competitive opportunities for students with a disability. So far students from across the area have accessed additional Level 2 Boccia, New Age Kurling & Table Tennis competitions.


There are three levels of competition:


 L1- within the same school i.e.; house / class / tutor competition


 L2- against other local schools  L3- County level competition where the students have qualified through a previous competition.


I have organised along with Emily Reynolds the West Wiltshire School Games organiser the ‘Step into Sport’ (SIS) training day which involved 18 SEND students from 9 schools across the county. Each school now have trained Young Leaders who are helping to support & deliver sessions within their own schools. It is hoped that next year (2015) the students who attend the SIS Day will lead & officiate at the Panathlon & School Games summer events. I was also invited to take a disability awareness workshop on the School Games Young Leaders Day


4 April at Sheldon School. I wanted to introduce the 140 secondary aged students to the needs of disabled people in sports and how they can support them at these events. Other Young Leaders have been trained through my Project Ability time. I have visited 2 Secondary Schools & also involve some Larkrise Students in a ‘mini’ leadership program. I also teach PE to the pupils at Larkrise and other specials schools along with a half day dedicated to inclusion across the county.


Jack ‘Lightning’ Wiskin is aiming for Rio 2016


Jack joined Larkrise School when he was 13 & just like Mo Farah’s PE Teacher I thought “that boy can run!”


Jack naturally runs on his toes & his acceleration over 20m is remarkable. So I took him to the National Disability Athletics trials & he won the 100m & 200m comfortably.We then went to the Nationals in Blackpool & he won again despite being in the U15 races. Jack’s Dad asked me if Jack could be a Paralympian one day. I explained that because he has a Learning Difficulty he would follow the Special Olympic pathway. The next year Jack broke both national records!


Then sadly in Dec 2010 Jack was rushed into hospital. He has a rare


condition called Tubular Sclerosis & this caused a brain tumour. When doctors removed the tumour they also had to remove one optic nerve & the other optic nerve was severely damaged. This means that Jack is now registered ‘blind’ & runs in the T12 category. The silver lining: he can now be a Paralympian!


Jack now 19 yrs old, trains with his own coach Colin 4 times a week. Tuesday and Thursday he trains at Bath University with Team Bath junior/youth able bodied sprinters.


Jack says ‘they are very nice and they are my friends now’. He does remarkably well for a young lad with little sight.


His next major competition is in Manchester in May and he is hoping to achieve good results in both 100m (11.3secs) & 200m (23sec). While studying at Fairfield College for 2 years, he will be preparing for the Commonwealth Games & European Trials.


His ultimate aim is Rio 2016 & this is a realistic goal.


“We are all very proud of Jack. I am sure through


his hard work he will achieve his dream” Rachel Bown.


Wiltshire and Swindon Relay 9


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