Paralympic Games: Here’s where you can try out disability sport in Greater Manchester
The Paralympic Games in Tokyo have once again captivated the nation.
Sports fans have been glued to their seats watching the Great Britain team, including the likes of Manchester sporting icon Dame Sarah Storey, battle it out for medals in more than 20 sports.
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Hide AdAs well as providing a feast of elite sporting action, it is also hoped the Paralympics will encourage more people to play sport.
We’ve been taking a look at how Manchester residents can try out some of the things they may have seen on their screens.
So if you’ve been enjoying the action from Japan and fancy giving parasport a go, here’s what you need to know.
Swimming
Swimming has long been a popular part of the Paralympic programme, with athletes like Ellie Simmonds and Ellie Robinson becoming household names for their exploits in the pool.
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Hide AdAnd anyone who wants to think about following in their footsteps can head to the City of Manchester Aquatics Centre.
The venue hosts sessions to get people started in para-swimming.
And Swim England is running a Start Para-Swimming initiative to build on the interest in the sport after the Paralympics.
There are two sessions in Manchester, on 16 September and 30 September.
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Hide AdThe Stockport Sharks Swimming Club also gives people with physical and sensory disabilities the chance to get in the water informally at Life Leisure in Hazel Grove.
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby secured a host of new followers as viewers enjoyed watching the Great Britain team secure an historic gold medal, the first time a European team has been on the podium.
Anyone fancying giving the chair-clashing, full-contact sport a go will need to travel slightly out of Manchester to the West Coast Crash club, the only one in the North West.
The club is based at Southport and has two teams, the Crash and the Burn.
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Hide AdAnd given that several members of the Crash have worked their way up to the Great Britain squad, anyone heading down for the first time just might be on a path leading to considerable success.
In addition to joining a club, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby is launching a search for future talent with its Pathway to Podium programme.
The scheme visits Greater Manchester for a day learning about the all-action sport on 21 November in Oldham.
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is one of the real blue riband events of the Paralympics and a hugely-enjoyable sport for players and spectators alike.
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Hide AdThose who watched the likes of Leigh’s Gregg Warburton and his team-mates in action and would like to have a go will need to get in touch with one of the local clubs to start their basketball experience.
There are two clubs in Manchester or fairly close by, the Manchester Giants Mavericks club at Belle Vue and The Owls Disabled Sports at Stalybridge.
The Mavericks are also running free wheelchair basketball sessions on 5 and 12 September to try out the sport at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester.
The Bulls Disabled Sports Club is also located in Greater Manchester in Bolton.
Athletics
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Hide AdAthletics has always been one of the crown jewels in the Paralympic programme and has made major sporting stars out of the likes of Jonnie Peacock, David Weir and Hannah Cockroft, to name just three British champions.
There are plenty of athletics clubs across Greater Manchester if you fancy trying out your speed on the track or testing your power in the field.
If endurance challenges are more your thing, the Manchester Half Marathon is also fully accessible to para-athletes, including wheelchair racers and blind runners with their guides.
Cycling
The sport of Manchester legend Dame Sarah Storey, who has won more gold medals than any other British Paralympian, cycling is always a popular part of the Games.
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Hide AdIt’s also extremely inclusive, with categories for solo riders, tandems for blind or visually-impaired pedallers, hand cycles and trikes.
Anyone who wants to go can hit the boards of the velodrome with one-hour sessions on alternate Thursdays at the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre in Manchester.
Riders will get an hour on track with expert coaching and both solo and tandem riders are catered for.
Rowing
Para-rowing has captured the imagination with British successes at the Paralympic Games and Salford is the place to be for Manchester residents wanting to head out on the water.
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Hide AdAgecroft Rowing Club, located at Salford Quays, has a para-rowing programme and helps athletes with a range of disabilities enjoy their chosen sport.
Get in touch with the club to see if learning to scull with a pair of oars might be the pastime for you.
Goalball
Goalball involves two teams of blind or visually-impaired athletes trying to bowl a ball into the opponent’s net while doing everything in their power to prevent scores against them,
It’s not an event which Britain has typically enjoyed a lot of international success in but that has not deterred the enthusiasts at Lancashire Lions VISC.
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Hide AdNot only does it give people the chance to have a go at goalball, but there are also opportunities to try out sports not in the Paralympic programme such as cricket and baseball for blind or visually-impaired players.
Wheelchair tennis
Wheelchair tennis has enjoyed a huge rise in profile over the past few years and British stars like Gordon Reid, Alfie Hewett, Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker have been battling for medals in Tokyo.
With wheelchair events now part of the Grand Slams, there has never been a better time to pick up a racquet.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is heading out on the road this year to try to encourage a new generation of stars.
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Hide AdAnd the initiative comes to Greater Manchester with a day at the Bolton Arena on 26 September.
Getting fit
If you’re not quite ready to pick a sport and just feel like improving your general physical shape, then a network of accessible gyms in Greater Manchester is here to help.
Since 2017 the Activity Alliance and Quest have been working together to ensure more disabled people can enjoy getting active.
The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) accredits gyms which are accessible and welcoming to people with disability with its mark.
Currently there are six in Greater Manchester.
They are: the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Radcliffe Leisure Centre, Castle Leisure Centre in Bury, Active Hyde, Ramsbottom Pool and Fitness Centre and Seashell Trust Fitness Centre in Cheadle Hulme.