RNIB - See Sport Differently

With the Paris Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we are catching up with some of the Paralympics GB visually impaired athletes who will be competing out in Paris with the hope of winning some medals too.

At the home of British Rowing in Caversham just outside Reading and on the edge of the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Paralympics GB visually impaired rower Sam Murray who will be competing in Paris in the new PR3 mixed double sculls boat class with Annie Caddic.

Rowing in this new event will see Sam fulfil a Paralympic aspiration that started at a talent identification event back in 2007 where he was first noted as a potential rower. 
Sam and Annie have rowed together since 2023 and were recently crowned European champions.

Sam tells Toby about how he got into rowing, being inspired by tales of his Great Grandfather who was a Thames Lighterman, how he and Annie feel coming into the Paris Games as European Champions in this new boat class, how rowing in the mixed double sculls differs from the mixed coxed four and how it works on the boat between him and Annie.

To find out more about the Paris Paralympic Games do visit the official games website - https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games


Image shows Sam stood with the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake behind him wearing a navy team GB t shirt with his arms folded looking towards the camera

A BBC documentary sets out to explore the intersectionality of race and disability in Welsh sport, it's hosted by ‘VI Rugby’ player Mona Jethwa. Hywel Davies has been hearing more.

You can watch the documentary by following this link - New Voices from Wales - Series 7: 3. The Way I Play - BBC iPlayer

Some of the world’s best goalball players will be making their way to the UK in 2025. Hywel Davies has been hearing about the Fen Tigers’ plans for hosting the one of the biggest tournaments in the sport.

You can find out more about the Fen Tigers and the  European Goalball Championship on their Facebook page - Facebook

Image: Fen Tigers Goalball logo, a tiger's face in black and orange with piercing green eyes.

With the Paris Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we are catching up with some of the Paralympics GB visually impaired athletes who will be competing out in Paris with the hope of winning some medals too. 
With 5 Paralympics GB visually impaired swimmers competing in the swimming competition starting on 29 August 2024 in the swimming pool of the Paris La Défense Arena RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with two time Paralympics silver swimming medalist Rebecca Redfern MBE to find out how Rebecca and the rest of the Paralympics GB visually impaired swimmers are finding things at the moment with not long to go now until the start of the games.

To find out more about the Paris Paralympic Games do visit the games website -
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games


Image shows Rebecca Redfern wearing a navy team GB t-shirt with her hands on her hips smiling towards the camera. Photo Credit: ParalympicsGB

With the Paris Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we are catching up with some of the Paralympics GB visually impaired athletes who will be competing out in Paris with the hope of winning some medals too.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Tokyo 2020 Paralympics GB Judo Gold medal champion Chris Skelley MBE to find out how he and the rest of the Paralympics GB visually impaired Judo athletes are feeling with the games just around the corner. 
Due to changes within Para Judo in Paris Chris will be competing in the J2+90kg category along with fellow Paralympics GB VI Judo athletes Daniel Powell in the J1 -90kg category and making his Paralympics debut in Paris Evan Molloy in the J2 -90kg category.

Chris also talks about how Judo had turned his life around and the benefits of sport for anyone who is visually impaired. 

To find out more about the Paris Paralympic Games do visit the games website -
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games

Image shows Chris wearing dark glasses in front of a white background making a heart symbol with his thumbs and forefingers.

Football-loving members of RNIB ‘Community Connections’ telephone groups get together each week to talk about the latest going on in leagues across Scotland and England.  This time, looking ahead to the start of the Premier League, along with the latest results in Scotland.

If you are looking to get into Goal Ball, or you are very much the professional in the sport, a new club has now launched in Chelmsford, and Hubert has been talking to the people behind the club launch to find out more.

Football-loving members of RNIB ‘Community Connections’ telephone groups get together each week to talk about the latest going on in leagues across Scotland and England.  What’s the verdict after the first round of fixtures in Scotland?

As the football season gets underway in Scotland, members of RNIB Community Connections Telephone groups have got together to share their thoughts on the upcoming action this weekend.

Barry Snell caught up with charity fundraiser Blind Dave Heeley to talk about his latest fundraising challenge, which will see Dave and his team cycle from Switzerland to Belgium, where they will cycle to the famous Western Front, which was where many soldiers lost their lives during World War One.

Click here to learn more about Dave and some of his incredible fundraising challenges

Image: Blind Dave Heeley riding on the back of a tandem cycle. He is wearing professional cycling gear which is basically a black and white and he also is wearing a black and white cycle helmet.