Latest news with #TeamScotland
Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Stephanie Inglis: Judo medals were great but being a mum is best
By any measure it was the toughest battle Stephanie Inglis had ever faced. The judo star who became the poster girl for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 woke to find herself in hospital. 'I heard beeping and remember waking up and seeing a bunch of machines,' said Inglis, now 36. Her father Robert, a judo coach and former Scottish and British internationalist, clasped her hand and offered reassurance before summoning help. Little could have prepared the Inverness-born athlete, who won silver in Glasgow, for what a doctor had to say after a motorbike accident in Vietnam. 'He told me that I had been involved in a motorcycle accident and that I had hit my head off the ground so hard that
STV News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Scotland's cheerleading team takes home gold at ICU World Championships
Scotland's national cheerleading team has had plenty to cheer about after clinching gold on the world stage. The squad – made up of members from across the country – flew out to Orlando, Florida last month to compete in the annual International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championships. Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, within the Walt Disney World Resort, they were joined by teams and individuals from 120 countries – all vying to be crowned victors. This year, it was Team Scotland's turn to take home the crown, coming top in the Unified Adaptive Abilities Median Cheer category. 'It was such a great moment,' says team captain Joshua Craik. 'I was just unbelievably proud of everyone. Being able to watch them grow throughout the season and just develop, and being able to go and do what we planned to do – winning gold – completely topped it all off. 'It felt unreal. I don't know if there's going to be another feeling that's going to match it.' The adaptive abilities unified cheer division brings disabled and non-disabled athletes together as one team. STV News Scotland's cheer team takes home gold from world championships in Florida For the ICU World Championships, squads are required to be comprised of 25% or more athletes with a physical, sensory, or intellectual disability. Team Scotland member Danielle Brown has been cheering for 22 years, but was told by doctors and physios that she would never be able to dance again. 'Clearly, I've proved them wrong,' she said. 'Being a part of Team Scotland and being a part of a unified team, especially in adaptive ability, it's just such an amazing feeling to be out there with a team that's from all across Scotland as well.' Fellow team member Annie Headrick added: 'I never thought I could do it with my disability. I'm blind in one eye, so catching and tumbling aren't really my forte. 'But it worked out really well and they've been really supportive in helping me learn more with it as well. '[The competition] was actually insane. Everyone was cheering everyone on. It was just really positive and we were all just sharing what we love, so it was really nice to be there.' Cheerleading's popularity in the UK continues to grow, but often its status as a sport is overlooked. It can be a dangerous activity due to the nature of routines, particularly those involving lifts and stunts; yet it still carries stereotypes that athletes have fought to dismiss over the years. 'It's so much harder than people realise,' says Team Scotland coach Victoria Orton-Bichener. 'Everyone comes to us and just says 'what sport are you cheering for?' or 'have you got your pom poms?' and all this sort of stuff, but we're here to show people that it's so much more than that. 'It's so difficult, the technical skills that these girls are performing, they're so hard and they take years to perfect. So we just want to show people what cheerleading can really be about.' STV News Cheerleaders 'unbelievably proud' after ICU victory The International Olympic Committee finally recognised cheerleading as a sport in its own right back in 2021. It hasn't made it into the line-up of sports set to debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but calls are now underway for it to be included in Brisbane 2032. Here, sportscotland also granted cheerleading recognition as a sport in February 2025. Team Scotland hopes that this, along with their huge win in the US, will prompt more respect. National team director Colette Cheape said: 'This is so important in recognising the tireless effort from athletes, coaches, officials, supporters. Over many years they've been working hard to gain the sport the respect that it deserves. 'It's shown the discipline and the athleticism and the commitment that's involved in the sport. Now that sportscotland have turned round and recognised us, that we are indeed a sport, it opens up so many more opportunities for us, and the growth and development of the sport. 'The future's looking really bright and we're really excited to see where it takes us.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Paralympian Callum Deboys on his bike and chasing Commie Games glory
The visit of paralympic skier Scott Meenagh during Deboys' long hospital convalescence sparked a conversation and planted a seed. His rehabilitation programme saw him try cross-country skiing and from there it became his new passion and obsession. Less than five years after that terrible road accident, Deboys was representing Team GB at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing. There would be a further brush with adversity for the man from the Ayrshire village of Kirkmichael when he lost his funding and couldn't continue in winter sports. Again, though, he spotted it as an opportunity rather than a crisis, ditching the skis for a bike where he has again quickly progressed through the ranks with both Scottish and British Cycling. The 28-year-old is now setting his sights on representing Team Scotland for the first time after eight para-cycling events were included in next year's Commonwealth Games. As a regular visitor to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, the thought of returning there to represent his country is serving as powerful motivation. 'It's going to be a huge target for me next year,' said the C2 rider. 'I'm hungry for it. I'm ready to go. I didn't think I'd be able to get an opportunity to race at a Commie Games but now that the para events have been included, it's a real exciting prospect. 'I absolutely love the velodrome. It's just a good opportunity to get on track and brush elbows with people when you're racing. It's all very close. I train there twice a week with Scottish Cycling. We have a really good programme here and there are loads of opportunities within Scotland to get on track. I also race track league on Friday night and then we'll have different competitions throughout the year. 'I'm pretty much at the velodrome every single week. As a Scottish athlete, we're incredibly lucky and incredibly fortunate that we have this venue here. And for it to be hosting the Commie Games is a real opportunity. Obviously getting to the Paralympics is such a huge achievement but getting to represent Scotland would be a real honour.' Deboys was still focusing on skiing rather than cycling as the previous Commonwealth Games unfolded in 2022 but he has repeatedly shown himself capable of adapting quickly to new challenges. 'Moving from snow sports, my original sport was all upper body so now it's changed to all lower body,' he revealed 'I've pretty much had to throw my training in a full 180. But it's a really exciting opportunity to change sports and have different experiences. 'I'm fully committed to cycling now. At the moment I'm on the British Cycling Foundation squad so I can't go full-time cycling just yet. I still have to work alongside training so it's a real challenge to balance everything. But I am 100% in on cycling.' Cycling had been a part of Deboys' life growing up but it was only after the accident that he started to take it more seriously. 'I've always cycled but it wasn't really until after my accident, until I lost my leg, that I started cycling properly,' he adds. 'I cycled all the way through my skiing career just as a way of cross-training. 'I've always wanted to explore cycling a little bit more. But because skiing is so intense and we were away for the majority of the year, it wasn't really doable until we lost our funding after Beijing. And then I saw this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. 'I do a combination of road and track. As a para-athlete, you can aim to be a jack of all trades, master of them all.' Deboys' dark humour and ability to see the positive in any situation extends to cycling with only one leg. 'Not having my left leg going around left corners, I don't have a problem with pedal strike or hitting my crank off the ground, so I can batter my bike in at left corners,' he reveals. 'I raced in Edinburgh one time and pretty much dropped a full able-bodied field on every single left-hand corner just because I can keep pedalling around it and they couldn't.' The former Trump Turnberry pastry chef made further headlines a few years ago when he got the chance to impress Gordon Ramsay with his skills on his TV series Next Level Chef. But Deboys says he's finished with cooking for now. 'I hung up my apron a few years ago,' he reveals. 'That ship has sailed. I actually work in NHS as an admin in A&E. Again, it's a job sitting down. It's a bit high stress sometimes, but it keeps me humble, keeps me hungry. It's a good thing just to keep me going.' It is cycling – and the prospect of becoming a two-sport Paralympian in Los Angeles in 2028 – that is his main driver, however. 'Absolutely. That is the big goal. That's why we're here. I just need to keep the head down, keep working, keep pushing. We'll get there eventually.'
The National
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
Paralympian Callum Deboys on his bike and chasing Commie Games glory
Losing a leg following a motorbike accident as a 21 year-old could have defined his life but instead the then trainee chef used the long road back to recovery as the starting point for him to go on and achieve greatness in ways he could never have thought possible. It is an inspirational tale. The visit of paralympic skier Scott Meenagh during Deboys' long hospital convalescence sparked a conversation and planted a seed. His rehabilitation programme saw him try cross-country skiing and from there it became his new passion and obsession. Less than five years after that terrible road accident, Deboys was representing Team GB at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing. There would be a further brush with adversity for the man from the Ayrshire village of Kirkmichael when he lost his funding and couldn't continue in winter sports. Again, though, he spotted it as an opportunity rather than a crisis, ditching the skis for a bike where he has again quickly progressed through the ranks with both Scottish and British Cycling. The 28-year-old is now setting his sights on representing Team Scotland for the first time after eight para-cycling events were included in next year's Commonwealth Games. As a regular visitor to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, the thought of returning there to represent his country is serving as powerful motivation. 'It's going to be a huge target for me next year,' said the C2 rider. 'I'm hungry for it. I'm ready to go. I didn't think I'd be able to get an opportunity to race at a Commie Games but now that the para events have been included, it's a real exciting prospect. 'I absolutely love the velodrome. It's just a good opportunity to get on track and brush elbows with people when you're racing. It's all very close. I train there twice a week with Scottish Cycling. We have a really good programme here and there are loads of opportunities within Scotland to get on track. I also race track league on Friday night and then we'll have different competitions throughout the year. 'I'm pretty much at the velodrome every single week. As a Scottish athlete, we're incredibly lucky and incredibly fortunate that we have this venue here. And for it to be hosting the Commie Games is a real opportunity. Obviously getting to the Paralympics is such a huge achievement but getting to represent Scotland would be a real honour.' Deboys was still focusing on skiing rather than cycling as the previous Commonwealth Games unfolded in 2022 but he has repeatedly shown himself capable of adapting quickly to new challenges. 'Moving from snow sports, my original sport was all upper body so now it's changed to all lower body,' he revealed 'I've pretty much had to throw my training in a full 180. But it's a really exciting opportunity to change sports and have different experiences. 'I'm fully committed to cycling now. At the moment I'm on the British Cycling Foundation squad so I can't go full-time cycling just yet. I still have to work alongside training so it's a real challenge to balance everything. But I am 100% in on cycling.' Cycling had been a part of Deboys' life growing up but it was only after the accident that he started to take it more seriously. 'I've always cycled but it wasn't really until after my accident, until I lost my leg, that I started cycling properly,' he adds. 'I cycled all the way through my skiing career just as a way of cross-training. 'I've always wanted to explore cycling a little bit more. But because skiing is so intense and we were away for the majority of the year, it wasn't really doable until we lost our funding after Beijing. And then I saw this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. 'I do a combination of road and track. As a para-athlete, you can aim to be a jack of all trades, master of them all.' Deboys' dark humour and ability to see the positive in any situation extends to cycling with only one leg. 'Not having my left leg going around left corners, I don't have a problem with pedal strike or hitting my crank off the ground, so I can batter my bike in at left corners,' he reveals. 'I raced in Edinburgh one time and pretty much dropped a full able-bodied field on every single left-hand corner just because I can keep pedalling around it and they couldn't.' The former Trump Turnberry pastry chef made further headlines a few years ago when he got the chance to impress Gordon Ramsay with his skills on his TV series Next Level Chef. But Deboys says he's finished with cooking for now. 'I hung up my apron a few years ago,' he reveals. 'That ship has sailed. I actually work in NHS as an admin in A&E. Again, it's a job sitting down. It's a bit high stress sometimes, but it keeps me humble, keeps me hungry. It's a good thing just to keep me going.' It is cycling – and the prospect of becoming a two-sport Paralympian in Los Angeles in 2028 – that is his main driver, however. 'Absolutely. That is the big goal. That's why we're here. I just need to keep the head down, keep working, keep pushing. We'll get there eventually.'
Glasgow Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
I spent my childhood in hospital, now at 81 I am top of this game
Peter Cameron is still feels he's top of the table despite hitting his eighth decade and living with the aftermath of a hip infection which meant one of his legs is shorter than the other. The wiff-waff veteran, 81, still turns up at Drumchapel Table Tennis Club twice a week to play and be part of a community which has shaped his life for over six decades. A former Scotland international and the only disabled player to have represented the country in table tennis, he spent most of his childhood in hospital due to a rare form of tuberculosis in the hip. Despite living with long-term health conditions and mobility challenges, he rose to become Scottish table tennis No. 2, played for Team Scotland, and later ranked No. 2 in the UK Paralympic scene - often competing - and winning - against players 40 years his junior. Peter in action (Image: DTTC) The long-time-player us sharing his story to help raise awareness of a creative fundraising effort taking place to gather funds for the club. The TOPSP!N exhibition has been launched at Wasps Studios, South Block in Glasgow, combining art and sport with a unique collection of works on sale to the public at large. Mr Cameron, from Glasgow, said: 'There's no way a disability should keep you back and I have competed against English and European champions without feeling that I'd disgraced myself or that I'd let my team down. 'I've been disabled for 77 years and have a left hip and leg shorter than the right by nine inches, and every member of the medical staff that I've dealt with me says keep playing because it has been so beneficial to you. 'Drumchapel has given me as rich a life as it seems possible to get. I am greeted with salutes every time I enter the club and do not have shortage of members queuing to play me. How can you beat that?' Peter has been a member of the club for six decades (Image: DTTC) He added: 'The pride that I take from being the only disabled player to play for Scotland and, unless I'm mistaken, the only disabled player to win the West of Scotland Veterans Championships and also to reach the semi Finals of the Worlds Consolation championships is profound. Not too shabby for a wee Glasgow boy.' The TOPSP!N, exhibition will showcase a collection of bespoke, artist-designed table tennis paddles, each transformed into a one-of-a-kind artwork. Contributing artists, illustrators and designers span a mix of local talent and international names, with every paddle available to purchase through a silent auction. All proceeds will go directly to DTTC, a grassroots sports organisation that plays a vital role in supporting youth development, fitness and community engagement in Glasgow and across Scotland. Some of the bats up for auction (Image: Topsp!n) TOPSP!N is open to the public now and will run until Sunday 27 April. The line-up of contributors includes celebrated comic book artist Frank Quitely, renowned Scottish landscape painter Robert Kelsey, acclaimed hip-hop artist Bemz, and signwriting and lettering specialists Bungo Sign Co, represented by Rachel E Millar and Sure Signs. Other artists featured in the exhibition include illustrator Agata Pietrusz, visual artist Craig Black, West African visual artists Osa Seven and Adaora Lumina, and Glasgow-based duo Conzo:Globel, made up of Ciaran Globel and Conzo Throb. Luke McCarthy, Founder and Creative Director at Pim-Pam, said: 'TOPSP!N is more than just an exhibition — it's a celebration of creativity, collaboration and community. By merging art with sport, we're raising valuable funds for a club that has made a lasting impact on hundreds of lives across Glasgow and beyond.'
