How did the committee come about?

Loughborough University’s Para Sport strategy aims to create life-shaping opportunities through the development of an inspirational and inclusive Para Sport offer. To assist in delivering this vision, our committee has been established to represent and support all Loughborough students that are involved in Para Sport, and to engage more students during their time at Loughborough.

How did you get involved?

The roles were advertised on the Coaching and Volunteering Academy website and I was interested in getting involved and it complemented my PhD research, which focuses on Paralympic Classification for visually impaired athletes. There are seven of us on the committee, including undergraduates, master’s students and postgraduates. Everyone has different reasons for joining but we are all very dedicated to growing Para Sport at Loughborough – both for elite athletes and those who want to join in recreationally.

What are your main aims for Para Sport on campus?

We want to be a voice for the students, to ensure that inclusive sport is available to all. The committee will act as a point of contact for students, and we are working alongside University Sport and AU Clubs to strengthen the Para Sport offer at Loughborough. We want to give all students the opportunity to be involved in sport whether that is as a participant, coach, spectator, official or volunteer and to feel part of the Loughborough Sport community.

We are also keen to educate the wider community about Para Sport and we are working closely with AU Clubs, Recreational, Social and IMS Execs and Loughborough Students’ Union, along with external parties such as the charity Power to Inspire, to host events and provide training.

How can people get involved?

We work closely with the Coaching and Volunteering Academy, so a lot of our opportunities are advertised there. We also host weekly drop-in sessions (Tuesdays from 4.30pm at the Students' Union) where you can ask us any questions or find out more about the work we do. We are also open to collaborations with students so please get in touch via our social media or email if you have an event in mind.

The committee:

• Anna Martin – Chair
• Finley Jakes – Vice Chair
• Dayo Dada – Collaborations Officer
• Georgia Patrick – Events Officer
• Lilly Gibbs – Research and Insight Officer
• Joshua Bain – Education and Training Officer
• James Haley – Media and Communications Officer

You can get in touch with the Para Sport Exec Committee by emailing Lboroparasport@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk or by following them on Twitter or Instagram. 

Loughborough University is celebrating Disability History Month (18 November-18 December). More information is available on the dedicated webpage.