Third Sports Fest to be held in Worcester
The British Paralympic Association (BPA) today announced that the third ParalympicsGB Sports Fest will take place at the University of Worcester Arena on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25, 2013. London 2012 gold medallist Josie Pearson and silver medallist Dan Greaves have been confirmed as ambassadors for the event.
The third edition of Sports Fest follows the fantastic success of the event first held at Surrey Sports Park in December 2012 and subsequently hosted at EIS Sheffield in April 2013. In all, over 1,700 people have so far attended Sports Fest to ‘meet the medallists, try the sports, get inspired’.
Sports Fest is a free two-day multi-sport event for disabled people that aims to capture some of the enthusiasm built up over the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Visitors to the event can participate in come-and-try sessions for the vast majority of Paralympic summer and winter sports. Additionally, they are invited to take part in meet the medallists sessions, where they can put their questions to athletes, pose for photos and receive autographs.
Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of the BPA, commented:
“We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing Sports Fest to Worcester. We were thrilled to see such a great turn out at the first two events in the series and they attracted fantastic feedback from visitors of all ages. It is now really clear that Sports Fest provides a wonderful opportunity for people to how learn they can get involved in disability sport and to discover what’s out there for them.
He added:
“Sports Fest is a crucial part of the BPA’s commitment post-London to support the development of disability sport opportunities and to capitalise on the increased levels of interest in disability sport following the Paralympic Games last year.”
Alongside Sport National Governing Bodies it also provides an excellent opportunity for important BPA partners such as the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) to network with attendees.
The English Federation of Disability Sport is the national body for disabled people in sport and physical activity throughout England. The charity’s vision is that disabled people are active for life. Part of EFDS’s work is to champion opportunities for disabled people to enjoy sport, supporting the sport and physical activity sectors to be more inclusive.
Barry Horne, Chief Executive of English Federation of Disability Sport, said:
“As the national body for sport and physical activity for disabled people throughout England, we were keen to be involved in the first Sports Fest last December. Our research following the London Games told us that disabled people are considering doing more sport now but not every disabled person can or will want to be a Paralympian or even reach elite standard. For many, just being active is enough. That is why EFDS is keen to ensure all opportunities are inclusive for people with every impairment and at a level they wish to take part at. We look forward to promoting the third Sports Fest in November to increase the number of disabled people who are active for life”.
London 2012 gold medallist and World Champion Josie Pearson has been announced as one of the first Sports Fest ambassadors. Commenting on the announcement, she said:
“I’m delighted to be named as a Sports Fest Ambassador as the event is celebrated in Worcester. As a Paralympian who has competed in both Wheelchair Rugby and Athletics, I know how fantastic it is to have the opportunity to try out a range of different sports under one roof! I’m really looking forward to the event and to meeting some of the people who sign-up to Sports Fest Worcester.”
London 2012 silver medallist and Dan Greaves was also thrilled to share the news. He said:
“I’d encourage people to get involved with Sports Fest and register to attend the event in Worcester. Sport has been a huge part of my life, but the great thing about Sports Fest is that it’s not just for people with a competitive edge who want to find out how they can get more involved, it’s also for people who want to maybe try something new and just get more active.”
