Budding athletes shine at Panathlon event in Lowestoft

The Panathlon event was held at Waterlane Leisure Centre. PHOTO: Nick Butcher (Image: ©archant2016)

Students from eight schools took part in the Panathlon North Suffolk Multisports Finals at Waterlane Leisure Centre last Wednesday.

Ormiston Denes Academy won the pan-disabled contest while the John Grant School, from Caister, were champions of the physically-disabled event.

A number of sports were played throughout the day – using adaptive equipment to enable more people to take part.

Table Cricket, Boccia, New Age Kurling, Polybat – a variant of table tennis – and running races were on the cards for the children.

Since 1999, the Panathlon Foundation has run more than 500 'mini Paralympic' multi-sport competitions for secondary or primary school children and this is the fourth time north Suffolk has staged a multisports final.

They have also trained more than 1,000 young leaders – aged between 14 and 19 – with the recruits for this year's event coming from Lowestoft Sixth Form College.

With more than 60 children taking part in the pan-disability event, in second place – four points behind Ormiston Denes Academy – were Pakefield High School.

Joint third were Bungay High School and East Point Academy, with 42 points – with The Ashley School in fifth on 34 points.

Meanwhile, John Grant scored 50 points to win the physical event by four points from the Super Stars – made up of competitors from Ashley, Pakefield and Ormiston Denes schools. Third were Warren B and fourth Warren A.

Stuart Aldous, head of PE at Ormiston Denes Academy, said: 'This has been an excellent experience and a great boost for all the pupils and staff.

'The pupils are the happiest they have been all year.'

Riley Gibbons, 13, added: 'It's fun to play non-traditional sports and learn new skills. I love the table cricket.'

The event was sponsored by the Emma Holloway Foundation and the Mason Trust.

Ollie Willis, head of PE at East Point Academy, said: 'There are a lot of smiling faces and students have been getting the feeling of being successful – increasing their confidence and hopefully their overall view about sport.'

In April, a Panathlon competition was held in Norfolk for the first time. The plan is for the winning schools from both counties to compete in another event later this year – possibly alongside schools from Cambridgeshire.

Tony Waymouth, chief operating officer of the Panathlon Foundation, said: 'It is great to see this part of the country moving forward and providing a stepping stone for Panathlon to further build for 2017.'

Stuart Everitt, managing director at Sentinel Leisure Trust, added: 'We love the centre being busy with kids of all ages and abilities coming in to enjoy sport – long may it continue.'

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