Mayor honours Special Olympians
St Albans’ Mayor Councillor Rosemary Farmer has honoured seven Special Olympics athletes who won a total of 12 medals at the World Games.
The magnificent seven, who all train in the St Albans District, took home nine golds as well as three silvers from the event at Abu Dhabi.
To celebrate their success, the Mayor attended a reception at the Assembly Rooms of the St Albans Museum + Gallery.
She met with the athletes along with three of their coaches and was briefed about their achievements.
Special Olympics is a charity that provides sports training to children and adults with a learning disability.
The St Albans branch has 150 members who train each week at venues around St Albans and Harpenden including Oaklands College.
The Special Olympics World Games, which is held every four years, attracted 7,500 athletes from 200 countries and was watched by 500,000 spectators.
Great Britain sent a team of 128 athletes – its biggest ever squad.
The seven from the St Albans District included Lucy Warne who won two equestrian golds in the dressage and equitation as well as a silver in the working trail.
Thomas Miller also won two equestrian golds, jumping and equitation, as well as a silver in the dressage.
Tom Ward won a football gold, Skye Westwood bagged a judo gold, and swimmer Philip Nicholls won a relay gold and a 25-metre breaststroke silver.
Damir Davies and Daniel Bernard each one gold as part of the GB basketball team that beat the USA in the final.
The three coaches were Liam Dwyer, football, Nikhil Shah, badminton and tennis, and Simon Jackson-Turner, basketball.
Councillor Farmer, Mayor of St Albans City and District, said;
This was one of the highlights of my year in office. It was an absolute privilege to meet these athletes who have done so well together with their dedicated coaches.
I told them that the whole District can take great pride in their achievements and will be very impressed with the huge effort they put into their sports.
For many of the athletes, it was the first time away from home without their families, so it was quite challenge for them as well as an unforgettable cultural and sporting experience.
Special Olympics is an excellent charity and is doing outstanding work in the St Albans District. I would urge anyone interested in supporting them to do so by, for example, volunteering or making a donation.
The Special Olympics World Games were held last month, March 14 to 21, and the reception, organised by Special Olympics St Albans, was on Wednesday 10 April.
For more information about Special Olympics in St Albans: www.stalbans.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/sports_physical_activity/everyone/disability/specialolympics/
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde,
the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544
Email: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for Special Olympics St Albans:
Christine Ovenden,
Coordinator.
Email: sa.volunteering@1life.co.uk
Tel. 01727 819422
Contact for the media:
John McJannet,
Principal Communications Officer,
St Albans City and District Council.
Tel: 01727-296130
E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk