Cherryl Thompson Disability Sport Advisor Sport Bay of Plenty

Disability Sport means specific sport for people with a physical disability or sport that includes disabled people.

Whichever the case, the Bay of Plenty has many opportunities available on a regular basis.

Sport Bay of Plenty provides inclusive events within the annual school sports programme. The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation has provided training for school staff to adapt school programmes to include disabled students in fitness, physical education and sport.

Students participate within their own schools and can represent their school at interschool events such as athletics, cross country and swimming.

At secondary school the pathway continues to Zonal and North Island Athletics.

At primary school level, disabled school students are also encouraged to participate in the Funky Fun Days – a day of fun games for those students who do not get to represent their school.

On a national level The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation organises The Junior Disability Games – an annual three-day event of several codes held in a 'paralympic like” village.

The Bay of Plenty sent a team of seven athletes, many who were identified through the interschool programme.

The team was managed by BayTrust CoachForce parafed development officer Zane Jensen.

Parafed is the regional sports organisation for sport for physically disabled people. ParafedBOP specialises in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, Boccia, goalball, blind sports etc, providing more sport specific opportunities for physically disable people.

To learn more, email [email protected]

Within the community are many opportunities available through local clubs and recreational facility providers.

Check out Sport Bay of Plenty's Play in the Bay calendar – a monthly activity guide covering Western, Central and Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Many of the often free activities cater for physically disabled people.

There is also Sport Club Finder on the Halberg Disablility Sport Foundation website www.halbergallsports.co.nz/find-a-sport/

The service helps identify local clubs who provide services that include options for physically disabled people.

Lastly, Halberg and Flight Centre Foundation worked together last summer with a floating beach chair being donated to Hibiscus Surf School in Mount Maunganui.

The surf school undertook training with a day of surfing for the physically disabled and now the chair is available for public use every day the surf school is on the beach, from October to April.

Now the school will provide monthly opportunities in summer for physically disabled people to go surfing. For more information, email [email protected]