So many positive experiences and the people were amazing, thank you for the opportunity. - Daisy
We recently partnered up with Family Fund to send one lucky family for a weekend of fun and activities to Festival of Sport – an all-inclusive celebration of sport designed to give kids of all ages and abilities the opportunity to try new sports for the first time.
On the back of what was a brilliant few days in the Norfolk sun, we caught up Daisy, mum of the recipient family, to find out more about their experience. Daisy is a mum of four from Oswestry and was joined at Festival of Sport by her daughter Sapphire and son Rhys who is a wheelchair user and has a series of conditions including imperforate anus, chronic kidney disease and Beals syndrome. What sports did they try and how did they enjoy The Festival of Sport? See the full interview below.
“We attended the festival this year, 2022, and at first, if I’m honest, I was quite apprehensive of taking Rhys to a sporting event. The entertainment on all the nights was amazing. But I really want to talk about the sports. On the Saturday morning I felt a little out of my depth. Dan the skipping man got Rhys to join in his wheel chair and do some skipping, and from that moment on it was all systems go. He then went onto hockey and they were just as awesome with him. They helped him to his ability and he even had one-to-one with Kate Richardson-Walsh. He then pushed further and went on wheels extreme which was just awesome, they were incredible people and did everything they could to have him join. With that done he decided he wanted to get out on the water. That was a proud mum moment as Rhys won’t go in the paddling pool.
So on Sunday he was up for his rowing, he was taught by Tom Aggar, who himself is in a wheel chair, so it gave Rhys an insight which was representative. He only did four activities and I’m pretty sure if he was up to it he would have been included in everything. When I asked Rhys what his favourite part was, he said the people. They made him feel welcome and most of all helped him to be a child at a festival having fun. Sapphire my youngest had the most amazing time and she is currently planning on saving up for next year. Amazing experience and amazing humble people. I know they are celebrity and sports heroes but to us they were friends for the weekend.”
“So many positive experiences and the people were amazing, thank you for the opportunity.”
Absolutely fantastic to see Rhys getting stuck into everything from hockey to rowing and we hope his story can help inspire other children with similar disabilities to get involved in sport. Thankyou to Family Fund and Festival of Sport for making this happen – see you again next year!
