Fourth Special Olympics swim gala to take place at Scarborough Sports Village
Scarborough Disabled Swimming Group (SDSG) and Everyone Active are set to hold their Special Olympics Come and Try It Gala on Sunday, September 20.
The event is being staged for the fourth time at Scarborough Sports Village, run by Everyone Active in partnership with North Yorkshire Council.
Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
It stages around 100,000 competitions globally each year.
The gala is expected to attract around 150 swimmers from across the country, giving them the chance to get active, have fun and compete for medals.
Swimmers with an intellectual disability aged seven years old and over can take part, with varying abilities and strokes welcome.
The event will be officiated by Kingfishers Swimming Club.
Medals and certificates will be handed out by international swimmer Aaron Gilson alongside North Yorkshire Council’s sports development manager Matt Hewison, while MP Alison Hume will also be in attendance.
Aaron, an athlete on Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, reached the final of the 200m breaststroke in the masters category at last year’s European Aquatics Championships.
Rachael Barnes, Everyone Active’s general manager, said: “We are enormously proud to once again welcome the Special Olympics Swimming Gala to Scarborough Sports Village and are looking forward to a fantastic day.
“Scarborough Sports Village provides activities for people across the community, no matter what your age, interests or ability, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone on Sunday, September 20.”
Richard Westgarth, Chairman of Scarborough Disabled Swimming Group, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the Special Olympics Come and Try It Gala in Scarborough once again.
“It’s a great opportunity for swimmers with intellectual disabilities to enjoy racing, make new friends and be part of a fantastic event.
“I’d like to thank Special Olympics Yorkshire and Humber for their ongoing support, Kingfishers Swimming Club for providing officials and volunteers, and Everyone Active for once again hosting us at Scarborough Sports Village.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming swimmers from across the region for what promises to be a brilliant day.”
SDSG is a user-led membership charity offering swimming opportunities for people with a disability of any age, alongside family members.
To learn more about SDSG and its current work, such as the I.Swim and I.Active projects, visit www.sdsg.org.uk.