What role does sport play in your life?
When I was younger, I played a lot of rugby but then suffered a knee injury when I was 18 which put an end to my competing in contact sports. Nowadays from a participation point of view I enjoy swimming. But my real passion has become coaching goalball.
How long have you been a coach? How did you get involved?
I first discovered goalball when I was a Games Maker at the London 2012 Paralympics. I met some goalball players in the Athletes Village and then went to watch some of their games.
I completed the Goalball Club Leaders award in August 2019 and have been coaching at South Wales Goalball Club ever since. I am also a Goalball UK Activator so volunteer as a table official and goal judge at tournaments - I was part of the officiating team at the IBSA World Games in Coventry this summer which was a great experience.
How long has the team/club been running?
South Wales Goalball Club was officially launched in November 2016 following a successful taster session in Cardiff. They played in their first Goalball UK tournament in February 2017 in Reading. Since then, we have held regular training sessions and played in lots of tournaments, picking up some team medals and individual accolades.
How do you get people involved in goalball?
We deliver taster sessions and talks at events run by partnership organisations, such as British Blind Sport, Disability Sport Wales, RNIB Cymru, Sight Life and EyeBelieve EyeCan, as well as in schools and colleges. We are also active on social media and have appeared on TV a couple of times. For example. watch this story: https://www.rnib.org.uk/our-campaigns/see-sport-differently/real-stories/megans-story-why-theres-something-out-there-for-everyone/
Tell us more about your club, future sessions or opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to get involved.
We have training sessions in both Cardiff and Port Talbot and, from January 2024, also in Carmarthen in the West of Wales.
Next training sessions: Saturday, 20th January at Ysgol Bro Myrddin in Carmarthen from 2-4pm.
Follow South Wales Goalball Club on social media¬
A graphic with two goalball images and information about the upcoming goalball training session at Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Carmarthen on Saturday, January 20th from 2-4pm. The text says: 'Come and try exciting sport for visually impaired people and their friends. Everyone welcome.'
