A King’s Park lad is celebrating after being selected for the West of Scotland Boccia team for next year’s Special Olympics.

And Michael Gillooly (11) was so happy to find out he would be heading to York next September, he’s barely been able to sleep since. Michael is now the toast of Kirkriggs School, which he attends, and the Boccia club based there.

He found out during a recent trip to Glasgow City Chambers, but had to keep the news under wraps for two weeks.

Then, the school announced it to his friends and fellow pupils at an assembly last week.

Sally Russell runs the Boccia club at Kirkriggs, and says Michael has been on cloud nine since: “You have never seen a child so elected in all your life.

“I’m so proud of him and so are his parents, Stephen and Rosslyn. According to them he never went to bed until well after midnight the night he found out.

via Special Olympics: Michael to be boccia Olympic star – Rutherglen Reformer.

Interview with Boccia Athlete Ali Lalani

Sport: Boccia

Born: 05/06/84

Lives: London

Ali has been competing in boccia for around 6 years and in that time has won a team bronze at the 2006 world championships, team silver at the 2005 European Championships and team gold at the 2006 Belgium Open. Ali is a devout muslim and is currently studying for an HND in leisure management at Solent University in Southampton.

via Interview with Boccia Athlete Ali Lalani.

Major local employer Aviva recently awarded Perth and Kinross Disability Sport £1000 from their Community Grants Fund to purchase new Kurling and Boccia equipment.

This much needed new equipment has been warmly welcomed by the group and will be used during Family Activity Sessions, starting on Saturday at the North Inch Community Campus from 10am to noon.

Perth and Kinross Disability Sport, a local charity has been running these sessions for young people (up to 21) with additional support needs and their families on a monthly basis over the last couple of years.

via Saturday tester sessions – Perthshire Advertiser.

Quote from Dan’s web site here:

Best Experience

It has got to be Beijing 2008. It was amazing the whole expearience from the village all the way to picking up the gold medal. The best game was in the semi-final against the hosts China, the crowd was electric but the best thing was that after the 5th end we were 7 – 2 up and they all walked out – I did have a little smile to myself! The final was good we controlled it from the start and won it quite easily 8 – 4.

From this moment our lives changed, the referee said end of the game I didn’t know what to do, I kind of wondered around and then got ‘mugged’ by our suppot staff, I did jump into the crowd in a mad moment!

When interviewed by BBC I did the worst interview ever, when asked “Dan how does that medal feel around your neck” I answered “heavy but it’s a nice weight”

The Mayor of St Albans has presented Special Olympic medals to winning boccia athletes.

Councillor Eileen Harris, mayor of the city, presented the Boccia athletes – the target ball sport that has become better known in the London 2012 Paralympic game – with medals on Sunday, November 18.

Around 30 athletes gave supporters an exciting day as they competed to qualify for the Eastern Region boccia tournament at De Havilland Sports Centre in Hatfield.

Participants came to compete from across the eastern region of England, Greater London, Kingston upon Thames, Brighton and Hove.

via Special Olympics boccia athletes receive medals from mayor (From St Albans & Harpenden Review).

Tomas Martin has never let the fact he’s confined to a wheelchair get the better of him. Mum Deb tells Rachel Mainwaring how he’s always lived life to the full

DEB and Phil Martin have nothing but respect for their “remarkable” young son Tomas. Despite spending his childhood in and out of hospital with a debilitating condition which causes constant muscle spasms, he has become an independent young man with huge interest in sport.

The 18-year-old, from Rhiwbina, Cardiff, is already a Welsh National Boccia Champion, a wheelchair version of bowls, and he has high hopes of taking part in the 2016 Paralympics.

via Teenager Tomas doesn’t let his wheelchair hold him back – Real Life – Life & Style – WalesOnline.

New exciting and gentle activities are coming to Maltby for the over 50s.

New Age Kurling is a form of the original curling game adapted so it can be played indoors on any smooth, flat surface. Boccia is similar to Bowls but played on a smaller surface.

The sessions are taking place at Maltby Leisure Centre every Tuesday from 11am to noon at a cost of £2.85 per session.

The Rotherham Active Always programme has been running for more than four years with the aim of providing a range of activity in local community settings to help improve the health and wellbeing of adults and older people.

For more information about what is on offer call 01709 797100.

via New activities for over 50s – Local news – Retford Trader and Guardian.

DISABLED children in Sheffield celebrated a sports club’s first birthday.

The Sheffield Smashers, who play Paralympic game boccia, marked their one-year anniversary with a party at Don Valley Stadium.

Karen Codling, chairwoman of the Sheffield Smashers Boccia Club, said: “Boccia provides the perfect opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to become involved in a sport

via Sheffield sports team’s first birthday – Community – The Star.

Pupils at Edith Borthwick School in Bocking joined Olympian race walker Dominic King and Paralympic Boccia bronze medallist Dan Bentley to switch on Stansted Airport’s decorations.

The airport, together with the charity Panathlon Challenge, presented the children with disability sporting equipment.

Airport staff collected more than 5,000 supermarket vouchers to buy the kurling kit so the children can play and compete in the up and coming Paralympic sport.

After the event, the Olympians and youngsters were given a behind the scenes tour of the airport’s fire station, including the new fire engines.

via Braintree: Disabled youngsters switch on airport’s Christmas lights (From Braintree and Witham Times).

IAN Poole edged Cheshire Academy team-mate Adam Bloor to glory in the regional boccia finals.

The pair, who train at the Crewe centre for people with learning disabilities, took part in the English Federation of Disability Sport Championships in Liverpool.

The were joined by seven other Academy team-mates up against the best from across the north west.

But great friends Ian and Adam made all the way through to the final and Ian nicked it 4-2.

He said: “It was a brilliant match and Adam played some great shots. Now I am looking forward to travelling through to Sheffield for the national finals next spring.”

Adam added: “Ian and I have played boccia together at the Cheshire Academy club for many years and we have played some brilliant contests.

“Ian played really well and I have to admit that at the end of the day he played the better game.”

Boccia is similar to French boules. Competitors aim to throw their balls nearest to the target jack.

The Academy’s boccia club meets every Friday (6.30pm) at Malbank School, Nantwich.

via Sport for all: Cheshire Academy, Crewe, pair demonstrate their dominance – Crewe Chronicle.