Profile: Boccia player Nurul charts game and life with her mind
Nurul qualified for the Paralympics last December, becoming the first para-athlete to represent Singapore in that sport.
Born with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 (SMA II), Nurul’s condition causes nerve cell loss in her spinal cord which in turn limits muscle movement.
So instead of tossing, players in Nurul’s BC3 category use assistive devices to launch the balls.
The para-athlete uses a head pointer to launch the ball from a ramp, after directing an assistant on the position of the ramp.
Nurul is ranked world number eight in her category, which includes those with cerebral palsy or other locomotor dysfunctions.
“I’ve never been able to walk. As a child, I used to be very fumbly — if someone pats me on my back, I’d just fall over,” says Nurul over lunch which can be a chore as her hands aren’t strong enough to grip cutlery.
“My muscle degeneration is gradual. I used to be able to raise my right forearm until I was 17. When I was 22, I lost the ability to point with my left index finger. I can’t perform certain daily tasks independently, such as showering and dressing up,” says the 28 year old who moves around in a motorised wheelchair.
Yet, where her muscles lack strength, Nurul’s mind fully makes up for it.
via Paralympics: Boccia player Nurul charts game and life with her mind – Channel NewsAsia.
Notts’ first outdoor Boccia court gets the ball rolling
THE first outdoor boccia court in the county has been officially opened in Gamston.
Boccia, one of the sports that grabbed attention at the Paralympics, is a ball game similar to bowls or petanque for wheelchair users.
The £6,300 court in Ambleside is a multi-use games area and will be shared with football and basketball.
Paid for by Notts County Council’s Local Improvement Scheme, the application for the games area
via Notts’ first outdoor court gets the ball rolling for boccia fans | This is Nottingham.
Inspirational Boccia
Groups of its students attended the Paralympics every day throughout the Games and were inspired by the achievements of all the athletes.
Josh, 15, a member of the School Regional Boccia team after having watched Boccia at the Excel Centre, said: “Wow, that was brilliant. I want to be as good as them one day.”
And Tash, 16, thought Ellie Simmonds was “awesome”.
The school’s director of sport Jo Eames said: “Because we are a lead school in the Get Set Education Programme co-ordinated by LOCOG, the students had a keen interest in the Olympics and Paralympics – and to see the fantastic achievements made by our disabled athletes at the Olympic Park had a great and long lasting impact.
via Disabled pupils inspired by daily visits to watch events | This is Kent.
Gabriel Shelly – Boccia player profile – Ireland
Gabriel is a full-time athlete and one of the most experienced Irish Paralympians, competing at four Paralympic Games, five World Championships, four World Cups and three European Championships.
To date, Gabriel’s career highlights in boccia are gold in the BC1 individual at Sydney 2000 and bronze eight years later at Beijing 2008.
Ireland – Local Boccia hero welcomed home
Gabriel Shelly of Bagenalstown and who lives in Kilkenny city also did his adopted home city proud with an outstanding performance in w boccia.
On Monday family and friends gathered in Dublin airport to welcome home the athletes. The athletes will be celebrated and honoured by the Government at a reception hosted by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Leo Varadkar in Farmleigh on Friday (September 14). They will also be honoured on October 22 at a reception in Aras on Uachtarain hosted by President Michael D. Higgins.
My Boccia Legacy
“TV highlights of the boccia world cup would be a great legacy”
Tom Murray, 23, from Southend-on-Sea, is a big boccia fan and plays for the Dovedale Flyers in Colchester. “It’s good to see people ask questions about disabilities, they shouldn’t be afraid to ask; we don’t bite, you know. I would love to see disabled sports stay on the TV. A highlights programme during the boccia world cup – that would be a great legacy.”
via Work to create a legacy to London 2012 starts now – Paralympics – Olympics – The Independent.
The official Boccia rule book
Download the official Boccia rules covering everything you need to know (PDF) > here. Pblished by the Cerebral Palsy, International Sports and Recreation Association.
Keeping equipment safe and useable
DEMAND would also welcome donations of unwanted or unserviceable equipment from private and public sectors. This equipment can be recycled in a number of different ways, all of which can benefit our disabled clients. DEMAND’S SALES SITE, contains a large number of refurbished items from second hand Wheelchairs through to Walking Aids, Scooters, Beds, Hoists, Grabbers, Bathers, Shower Chairs, Commodes and many more items.
Please click the link to our dedicated Sales website – here.
See more equipment on our ebay site – here.
Or call for more information:
Hertfordshire: 01923 681800
Yorkshire: 01484 666261
Making equipment available to all
Keeping equipment safe and useable
DEMAND has also taken on the role of refurbishing not only privately owned equipment but also setting up contracts for refurbishment work on local authority equipment.
DEMAND would also welcome donations of unwanted or unserviceable equipment from private and public sectors. This equipment can be recycled in a number of different ways, all of which can benefit our disabled clients DEMAND’S SALES SITE, contains a large number of refurbished items from second hand Wheelchairs through to Walking Aids, Scooters, Beds, Hoists, Grabbers, Bathers, Shower Chairs, Commodes and many more items.
Please click the link to our dedicated Sales website – here.
Or call for more information:
Hertfordshire: 01923 681800
Yorkshire: 01484 666261
Paralympians return to Vancouver
Some of Canada’s Paralympians who competed in the London Games arrived at YVR to a small crowd of well wishers early this afternoon.
Michelle Stilwell, a wheelchair spritner from Nanoose Bay, BC, was showing off the Silver medal she won in the T52 100 metres and the Gold medal she won in the 200 metres.
Josh Vander Vies picked up a bronze, with his partner Marco Dispaltro, in the Boccia Mixed Pairs BC 4 event. The duo defeated a team from Great Britain 8-2 for the victory.
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