Croydon youngsters crowned London Panathlon Champions at Olympic Park
A team of disabled young people from Croydon have tasted Olympic Park glory as they were crowned 2015 Panathlon London champions at the Copper Box Arena.
With Team GB Paralympians and TV star Alex Brooker watching on, 175 disabled students from 22 London schools competed at the iconic London 2012 venue in the finals of the Panathlon Challenge - a 'mini Paralympics' for children.
Croydon beat Barking & Dagenham, Sutton and Hammersmith and Fulham to win the multi-sport competition - all played with adaptive equipment to allow more children to take part - before receiving their trophy from triple Paralympic medallist Liz Johnson.
Fiona Bell, teacher at St Giles School, said:
"It's fantastic. The commitment of the team was great. You take a step back and realise what’s been here before with the Olympics and it’s quite incredible. It’s an amazing arena. Panathlon gives the opportunity to take part in competitive sport to children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to so, for most of them, this is the pinnacle of their sporting careers.”
Toyin Fabusiwa, aged 15, student at St Giles School, said:
"It's amazing. I wasn't expecting it to be honest, but we got it. This is my last year in my school as well, so this is an amazing way to go out. The Copper Box is just incredible. I've never been to a place like this. It's an amazing experience to be here.”
The Panathlon finals were the culmination of months of competition in the capital, involving over 1,500 students with a range of impairments from all 32 London boroughs across 16 qualifying rounds. Alongside Croydon’s triumph, Brent were crowned Panathlon plate winners as back-to-back finals created a wonderful atmosphere at the state-of-the-art London 2012 venue.
TV presenter and Panathlon patron Alex Brooker said:
“It’s amazing that Panathlon are hosting such a big final here in the Copper Box, an Olympic venue, with so many kids. It just shows how far the charity has come. If there’s anything that demonstrates an Olympic and Paralympic legacy, it’s this.”
Panathlon provides sporting opportunities for over 6,000 disabled young people each year across London and 26 counties nationwide. Over 400 schools will have taken part in 110 of Panathlon’s ‘mini Paralympic’ competitions by the end of 2014/15, with over 50,000 active hours of sport provided to disabled children.
Panathlon ambassador Liz Johnson, said:
“I love Panathlon because it gives everybody the chance to compete in sport, not just participate. Having the finals here at the Copper Box gives the pupils something extra to aim for. I’m sure it stirred the emotions in them as it did for us making it to the Olympics and Paralympics.”
This is the second year that Panathlon has held its showpiece event at the Copper Box, the state-of-the-art London 2012 venue. In July, the Olympic Park’s Aquatic Centre will host Panathlon’s first regional swim final.
The charity’s work is funded in London by the Jack Petchey Foundation, the Mayor of London and the St. James’s Place Foundation.
Trudy Kilcullen, Chief Executive Office of the Jack Petchey Foundation, said:
“It’s fantastic. The atmosphere, compared to last year, has just raised the game again. Our core belief is that we want every young person to think that they can. So if you think you can, you can. Panathlon just epitomises that.”
