Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Simon Munn was introduced to Wheelchair Basketball shortly after a train accident which resulted in the loss of his leg. He immediately feel in love with the game and began competing in 1991.

To date, he has represented Great Britain in five Paralympics winning Bronze in Beijing, Bronze in Athens and Silver in Atlanta as well as numerous European and World Championship accolades.

Over more than two decades of playing Wheelchair Basketball Simon has played for a number of clubs including Super League Club MK Aces, Tameside Owls and London Club Capital City.

Simon has already announced that this will be his last Paralympics before retiring and his intention is to go out on a high – a Gold medal in his hand.

Quote of the Week

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision".

StevieWonder, Muscian

Paralympic Fact - Did you know......

The story of the Paralympics began with Dr. Ludwig Guttman of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England.

In 1944, he began using sports as a form of recreation and physical therapy for veterans of World War II with spinal cord injuries.

In 1948, on the day that the Olympic Summer Games opened in London, he organized the Stoke Mandeville Games, a competition for wheelchair athletes. This became an annual event, and, in 1952, it achieved international standing, as athletes from the Netherlands joined the competition.

This competition—now known as the World Wheelchair Games—is still held annually, except in years with Paralympic Summer Games.

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Ben Quilter (Great Britain)

Sport: Judo

Paralympian Ben Quilter boasts an impressive Judo career – a sport he started as a seven year old. Undeterred when he began to lose his sight at 10 years of age, because of the degenerative condition Stargardt's Disease, he continued within the sport he loves.

Ben missed out on selection for the Athens Games but was selected for the 2008 Beijing Games, where he finished fifth.

He has continued to progress and won the world title in 2010 and added the 2011 European title to his tally.

Ben Quilter comes to the London Paralympic Games 2012 as the world number one and World and European champion in his -60kg category.

Quote of the Week

We know that equality of individual ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Paralympic Facts - Did you know.............

The name "Paralympics" comes from the Greek prefix "para-" (in this context, "beside" or "alongside") and "Olympics." "Parallel Olympics" approximates the intended meaning.

It has nothing to do with "paralysis" or "paraplegia."

Its motto was "Mind, Body, Spirit" from 1994 through 2003, and is now "Spirit in Motion."

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (Great Britain)

Sport: Sailing

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell joined forces in 2007 competing in the two-handed Skud category and have gone from strength to strength ever since. At the Beijing Paralympics they secured fifth place in a very competitive field.

Success has continued as this year they have secured their fourth World Title in a row and Silver medals at events in Hyeres and Miami.

Niki Birrell comes from a family of keen sailors while Rickham came in to the sport following a diving accident in her native Jamaica.

They will be competing in Weymouth as the favourites and are hoping to win Team GB their first medal in the sport.