From London Paralympian to South African Sitting Volleyball development maestro!

1 – How did you get involved in Sitting Volleyball?

I first found out about sitting volleyball when I joined East London Lynx in Feb 2009. I had never played any form of volleyball before and I was hooked fairly quickly. I loved the exercise, camaraderie and competitiveness of a team sport.

2 – What is it that motivates you each day to further develop our sport?

Sometimes it is slow work and tough going, but there are many things that motivate me in building the sport in South Africa. I have experienced the benefits that the sport brings to my life as a player and I think the biggest motivation is the idea that the same benefits could be created on a large scale for a whole country. There is a real chance, with commitment and the right infrastructure, that South Africa could be represented at world competitions and it would be amazing to help make this happen. Of course, in building sitting volleyball in South Africa, there is also the benefit that I get to play the sport there too!

3 – What has been your biggest achievement in Sitting Volleyball to date?

There have been some amazing experiences and achievements for me in Sitting Volleyball. As a player, the most prestigious achievement was representing Great Britain in the London 2012 Paralympics and one of the most rewarding experiences was captaining and winning the UK Grand Prix finals in 2012 with my club, East London Lynx.

In developing Sitting Volleyball in South Africa, one the greatest achievements we have had to date is no doubt, the very first training session we had back in early 2014. Often the first step is one of the hardest! Recently, we held a major workshop for a province in South Africa where three schools and three disability sports clubs attended and learnt the sport for the first time. It was incredible to share in their enjoyment and excitement for the sport.

4 – How would you explain Sitting Volleyball to someone in 12 words or less?

A fast-paced, competitive and inclusive team sport that is booming!

5 – Where/how do you see Sitting Volleyball in 10 years time?

My hope is that Sitting Volleyball develops further so that over 100 countries actively play the sport and that significant sponsorship allows for professional leagues and tournaments. Particularly, I hope South Africa and Southern Africa develop rapidly so that sustainable club infrastructure is established, the countries can support a regional tournament and they can actively compete at World competitions.

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The ‘Movers & Shakers’ initiative is aimed at giving more recognition to those that are developing Sitting Volleyball around the globe.

It can be anyone working in the sport, whether they have excelled at promoting it, ran a successful competition, started a new club/activity, organised events to increase awareness, influenced people for the greater benefit of the sport or a combination of the above.

Please do let us know if you know of someone who deserves to be highlighted by e-mailing
volleyslide@worldparavolley.org with the following:

• Full name
• e-mail address
• Country in which they mainly work
• A short justification of why you are putting them forward

Their story will also offer others a chance for others to learn from their good practise and use what works in their area for even greater benefit.  This is your chance to give recognition to those who promote and build the sport of sitting volleyball.  We look forward to hearing from you.

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Previous Mover & Shakers: