Loughborough University is home of the one of largest multi-sport communities of Para athletes within a Higher Education institution in the UK. Moreover, Loughborough is possibly one of the only universities in the world to have a specific Para sport strategy, namely, the vision is to create life-shaping opportunities through the development of an inspirational and inclusive Para sport offer. To deliver this vision, the University has recently set-up its first ever student-led Para sport Executive Committee. The PHC is very proud to announce that two of our current PhD students, Anna Martin and James Haley, have assumed two key positions on this Committee. As Chair, Anna Martin will be leading the Executive Committee, ensuring that it represents and is the voice of the student Para sport Community at Loughborough. Anna will also be representing Para sport on Sport Senate and working with the LSU Sport Executive Officer and Head of Para sport, Nik Diaper, to provide student feedback. As the incoming Media and Communicators Officer, James Haley will be responsible for promoting and sharing updates and general information about what the Executive Committee is doing. James will also manage the Committee’s social media channels (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) and will work closely with the Loughborough Sports Marketing team to ensure Loughborough Sport is promoting the wider Para sport community.
The overall aim of the Committee is to represent and support all students that are involved in Para sport, as well as to engage more students to become part of Para sport during their time at Loughborough. As part of the Committees work, they will be investigating the current Para sport offer at Loughborough. They will be developing training programmes to assist with the education of students, Athletics Union (AU) Executives, coaches, and staff regarding Para and inclusive sport. Additionally, the Committee plan to hold regular Para sport events, which will be inclusive and accessible to all. They will also collaborate with other groups at Loughborough, such as LSU Welfare and Diversity and the Disability Support Network, to integrate Para sport pathways into core student activity and ensure that the Para sport offer is visible to all students.
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Anna said, “The committee hopes to be a point of contact for all student matters surrounding Para sport, working alongside University Sport and AU Clubs to strengthen the Para Sport offer at Loughborough at all levels of participation and competition. While we will be representing the voice of Para-students and Para-athletes at the University, we are also keen to promote involvement in Para sport for everyone – be that taking part in the sport itself, such as Wheelchair Basketball or Boccia, volunteering at events, attending education sessions, or acting as training partners and guides for Para-Athletes.” |
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James commented, “My overall plan is to encourage and promote more opportunities for students living with disabilities at Loughborough to get involved in the Para sport community. By doing so, this will lead to more chances to meet like-minded individuals and improve their physical and psychological health whilst also providing ample opportunities for them to have fun alongside their degree.” |
For more information about Para sport at Loughborough, visit our dedicated webpages via https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/para-sport/.