East Lancashire's disabled get really motivated (From Lancashire Telegraph)

East Lancashire's disabled get really motivated

12:00pm Thursday 30th August 2012 in News By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

A HOME grown Olympic event is encouraging disabled people to reach their potential.

While the world’s Press flocks to the Paralympic games in London this week, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Motivate scheme will see people with a range of abilities take part in archery, cycling and athletics for the 10th year running.

The scheme sees disabled people taking part in regular weekly Motivate sessions with an Olympic-style celebration of the project every four years.

Motivate is a huge success with approximately 500 members and 15,000 attendances in the past 12 months.

The Motivate Olympics sees eight events over eight days, including swimming, curling and boccia, relay, sprint, javelin, and long jump.

Today members are competing in archery, and tomorrow will see the event come to a close with a medal ceremony.

Motivate project manager Paul Roberts said: “When Motivate began, the concept was to keep disabled people active. Every four years we celebrate the scheme with this Olympic event and it’s about recognising the members’ achievements. It’s their event and it’s about them doing well.

“I have to say too, that Motivate staff are incredible and work very hard for not much recognition and to minimal budgets. The members love them because they are so dedicated.”

Participant Stephen Power, 46, from Blackburn, who also works for Motivate, said: “I just love the games, it’s brilliant. You get to be part of a team.”

Kurt Parker, 20, said: “I’ve done so much here, football, cricket, rugby, golf, archery – Motivate is amazing.”