Category Archives: Disability

UK’s first wheelchair-using referee

Nathan Mattick

Nineteen-year-old Nathan Mattick has loved football since he was tiny but he quickly realised that his dreams of playing for Manchester United were going to be limited by his cerebral palsy.

But not one to be deterred by his wheelchair, Nathan decided that the next best thing would be refereeing for some of his favourite teams. More

Inspirational Diversity Champion – July 2015

Nic Hamilton
On 12 July it is Disability Awareness Day and with this in mind we have chosen Nic Hamilton as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the month.

Nic is a prime example of ‘you can do anything if you put your mind to it’. Born with Cerebral Palsy, he continuously strives to overcome the pain, strains and struggles that are a result of his disability. He is very determined and believes that his disability will not prevent him from achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a successful racing driver.

With motorsport in the family and therefore in his blood, but both time and physical strength against him, Nic never had the confidence to try motorsport. After years of hard work and dedication in overcoming his condition from wheelchair bound to walking unaided by the age of 17, his parents decided to agree to his request to be allowed to race. He was given the opportunity to race in the highly competitive Renault Clio Cup series. This naturally was a baptism of fire given that this would be his first attempt at motorsport, but he handled the challenges presented to him with the same dedication and determination that his disability presents to him on a daily basis.
Nic had a fantastic first year finishing midfield in the season. The second year proved a little tougher both but he remains determined to achieve his dream. After proving himself to the world of motorsport in just 2 short years, his ambitions are set high with the desire of one day racing in the Deutschen Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), or similar racing series as a motivation to others that disabled life is for living.

In 2013 Nic took part in the European Touring Car Cup driving a SEAT León Supercopa for Baporo Motorsport and in March this year he became the first disabled competitor to participate in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – May 2015

Mark Smith1This month Deaf Awareness Week runs from 4 to 10 May and for this reason we have chosen Mark Smith as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

Mark is a freelance dancer, teacher, actor and choreographer who was born deaf and diagnosed as profoundly so when he was four. As a young child his mum took his sister to dance school and Mark would have to tag along. He watched the kids dancing and felt the vibration of the music at the same time. Mark used to copy them, dancing at the back of the class where his mother noticed and let him join properly. He was accepted into the Royal Ballet School’s Junior Associates when he was 10, and when he left school he went to London Studio Centre and trained for three years.

Mark didn’t have any deaf artists to look up to and grew up to believe that nothing could stop him. His mother encouraged him to follow his dream and never let his deafness hold him back.

As a dancer Mark was a performer with Firefly, LaRibot and the Aaron Williamson Dance Company and in 2010 Mark formed ‘Deaf Men Dancing’ an innovative and emerging all male dance company. It is a collaboration of male dancers/choreographers who, like Mark, are deaf. Together they have created a fusion of differing styles of dance with sign-language incorporated into the devising and choreography.

Mark has work on numerous productions and shows including the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics.

To find out more about Mark, Deaf Men Dancing and the rest of his work see his website at http://marksmithproduction.com/marksmith.html

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – April 2015

Alastair photoThis month sees the start of MS Awareness Week and with that in mind we have chosen Alastair Hignell as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the month.

Alastair is a former rugby player, cricketer and broadcaster who was diagnosed with MS in 1999 and is now the Patron of MS-UK.

Alastair attended Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge and won Blues in both cricket and rugby and was only the second man to captain Cambridge in both sports. By the time he graduated from the University in 1977, he had played rugby for England several times. After university he continued to play rugby for Bristol and England in the winter, played cricket for Gloucestershire in the summer whilst working as a teacher.

Alastair continued to teach until he moved into journalism full-time and he became a respected reporter, as well as working extensively on BBC Radio commentating on both rugby and cricket. He has also written for Wisden Cricket Monthly, Rugby World, the Wooden Spoon Yearbook, Lawrence Dallaglio’s “Rugby Tales”, International match programmes, and New Pathways magazine. When broadcasting duties allowed, he also contributed to the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph.  His autobiography “Higgy…Matches, Microphones and MS” was published in September 2011 and was named the Rugby Book of the Year at the British Sports books Awards in May 2012.

Alastair became Patron of Multiple Sclerosis UK (MS-UK) in 2002 and has since been active in raising funds for the charity.  In 2008, inspired by Alastair’s heroic achievements on and off the pitch, Higgy’s Heroes, a fundraising body linked to MS-UK was created. Initially a one-off idea by a group of ex-teammates and opponents who decided to run the London Marathon in tribute to Higgy, the name and the idea continued beyond this one event. Since then there have been a number of Higgy’s Heroes fundraising events largely based on physical achievements or sports activities.

In 2008 Alastair won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award  for his work in spreading awareness of multiple sclerosis and in 2009 he was awarded a CBE for services to sport and for his charity work.

For more information about Alastair and his work go to his website at http://www.alastairhignell.com/