The team behind the Waverley Para Games is delighted to announce that Paralympians Rachel Morris and Kylie Grimes will attend the inaugural event of the Waverley Para Games to be held at Charterhouse Club on Thursday 3rd April 2014. The Waverley Para Games was conceived by local MP Jeremy Hunt following his involvement in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in his capacity as then Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Sport and Olympics.
Inspired by the paralympians’ drive, focus and ambition in overcoming incredible obstacles to reach their elite sporting status, he resolved to ensure that the Paralympic Legacy survived beyond the games with particular focus on increasing provision of inclusive sport for youngsters in his constituency of South West Surrey.
On 3rd April nearly 100 school children from Surrey will be taking part in this very special event, hosted by Charterhouse Club and delivered in partnership with Rodborough School, as part of the Project Ability programme, which they lead on behalf of all schools in the county. The Waverley Para Games is supported by the COINS Foundation (www.coinsfoundation.org) in partnership with Active Surrey, Youth Sport Trust, CP Sport and Sport Godalming and will include Boccia, Polybat, Sitting Volleyball, Athletics and New Age Kurling. Both Rachel and Kylie competed in the London 2012 paralympics.
A former student of Farnham Heath End School Kylie started playing wheelchair rugby in 2008 as a member of the London Wheelchair Rugby Club and was selected to join the GB squad in 2011, making her debut at the GB Cup in the same year and is currently the only female member of the squad. She went on to win a silver medal at the European Championships and came 5th at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Winning a gold medal in Bejing in 2008 and a Bronze medal in London 2012 , Rachel, a hand cyclist, is a well known sight to those living and working in Surrey, training for hours a day in all weathers on the Surrey roads. Rachel will be opening the event on 3rd April and said ‘I am delighted to be able to support the Waverley Para Games. The event offers young people from Surrey a fantastic opportunity to try out all manner of different sports and I am so pleased to see that the Waverley Para Games project includes a comprehensive three year programme which aims to train teachers and improve regular participation in inclusive sport within schools and local communities. I encourage as many schools as possible to sign up and I really look forward to seeing everyone there.’