Introduction
Welcome to Swim Wales Disability Swimming webpage. Swim Wales strives to develop Disability Swimming in Wales and ensure that opportunities are made available to any swimmer with a disability to access aquatic activities whether for lessons, recreation or competitive swimming. To ensure that this is possible Swim Wales works closely with Sport Wales, Federation of Disability Sport Wales, British Swimming and other bodies involved in Disability Sport.
Local Authority Learn to Swim
All 22 Local Authorities in Wales are able to offer swimmers with disabilities the opportunity to access Learn to Swim in both an inclusive and closed (disabled only) environment. Swim Wales is working very closely with all Local Authorities to ensure that this is made available. For more information on Learn to Swim within your Authority please contact your local swimming pool or Leisure centre. Alternatively feel free to contact Huw Griffiths, Swim Wales Disability Officer.
Free Swim Initiative
The Free Swim Initiative is a joint programme developed and funded by Sport Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). The initiative allows swimmers aged under 16 and over 60 yrs to access swimming pool time for free. Free Swim can be in the form of both structured and unstructured swimming and other aquatic activities. Activities will be available both inclusively or closed (disabled only).
For more information on the Free Swim activities that are available please contact your local swimming pool or leisure centre.
Talent ID
With the help of Kellogg’s, Swim Wales is launching a series of Talent Identification events across Wales to swimmers with the potential to compete at Paralympic level.
The Kellogg’s 2016 Development Days will be organised across the country as a means of finding swimmers with disabilities that have the potential to progress to National and International competitions. We are looking for Swimmers with Physical, Visual and Learning Disabilities aged 9 years +.
If you are interested and would like to know where your nearest development day is, please contact Huw Griffiths, Swim Wales Disability Officer at huw.griffiths@swimming.org
Classification
Classification is the grouping of athletes in a sport to ensure that there is a fair playing field, and there are two main forms of classification: the functional classification system and the disability specific classification system.
Functional Classification system
Co-ordinated by British Swimming, this system is for swimmers with a physical impairment and entails the assessment of a swimmer's functional mobility by IPC Swimming trained classifiers. The process involves a bench test, water test and observation in competition. This type of classification also enables the identification of stroke exceptions applicable to an individual swimmer.
A minimum of two classifiers form a classification team consisting of a medical classifier, such as a doctor or physiotherapist, and a technical classifier, such as a swimming coach.
In the first instance swimmers will need to obtain a British Swimming classification and then as they progress along the elite pathway will be put forward for an international classification.
For further information on any of these processes or systems please contact the Disability Swimming Administrator on 01625 440434 or disability@swimming.org
Disability Specific Classification system
This system is co-ordinated by the relevant Disability Sports Organisations and allows swimmers of a similar and specific disability to compete against one another. There are individual classification systems for visually impaired, hearing impaired and learning impaired swimmers. For further information on any of these please follow the links below
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Visually Impaired British Blind Sports www.britishblindsport.org.uk
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Hearing Impaired British Deaf Swimming www.ukdeafsport.org.uk
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Intellectual Disability Mencap http://www.mencap.org.uk/
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Classifiers
There are two types of classifier needed. These are a medical and a technical classifier, which make up a working pair. A medical classifier will either be a doctor or physiotherapist, and a technical classifier will be an ASA club coach. For more information click on link below:
Becoming a classifier
Are you a doctor or physiotherapist with an interest in swimming, or know of anyone who fits this description? Alternatively are you an ASA qualified Club Coach with sound up to date technical knowledge, and with an interest in or experience of working with disabled swimmers? If so please contact your ASA Regional Director for further information on how to become a classifier, or contact the British Swimming disability team atdisability@swimming.org
Swim Wales National Squads
Swim Wales currently has 2 National Disability Squads who train together a various points throughout the year. All swimmers in these squads have had to reach qualification standards set by Swim Wales and are then eligible for selection for events such as UK School Games, DSE National competitions and Swim Wales organised training camps. Within our Squads we have 4 Swimmers who are part of British Swimming’s World Class Pathway. We also have swimmers who are currently funded through Sport Wales Talent Cymru programme which enables them to access higher level training.
British Swimming High Performance Centre
Wales National Pool, Swansea, is one of 3 British Swimming Paralympic High Performance Centres in the UK. The centre offers a world class service for world class athletes who access the centre at present and for those who will have access to it in the future. The Head Coach of the HPC is Billy Pye. Billy is one of the best Disability Swimming Coaches around and has coached Paralympic Champions such as David Roberts, Eleanor Simmonds, Liz Johnson and Gareth Duke, to name but a few.
There are currently 10 swimmers training out of the High Performance Centre, all of which are on World Class programmes.
BILLY PYE
HEAD DISABILITY COACH, SWANSEA
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE SWIM WALES DISABILITY PROGRAMME AS A COACH, TEAM MANAGER OR VOLUNTEER THEN PLEASE CONTACT SWIM WALES ON 01792 513636
