Active Summer Fun: 'Deaf football really is a passion of mine'
A new participation campaign created by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs) is encouraging more disabled people to find out and play out over summer. Active Summer Fun -#ActiveSummerFun on social media - is an exciting new campaign that aims to support more disabled people to find ways to be active during the warmer months.
This summer we will be hearing from various disabled people or those who deliver activities that include disabled people. We hear how they are expecting the next few months to be very busy!
Today, Callum Fox talks to us. He is a centre-half for Sunderland Deaf AFC football team, and discusses out-of-season fitness, playing all round the country and colourful fundraising efforts.
Callum's Active Summer Fun:
As one of Sunderland’s defenders, obviously I play a lot of football. In particular, I enjoy 5-a-side, 7-a-side and 11-a-side formats, and play very often.
I also exercise when I can to keep up my fitness, especially in the off-season. I'm not a keen gym person though, so I mainly pursue exercise through kicking a ball about.
This summer, which is out-of-season, I’ve been targeting roughly seven hours of physical activity a week. I think I’ve been largely achieving that.
I've been involved with the Sunderland team for over two years now. This is my third season in deaf football - I joined the team back in 2013 when the club was founded and have been here ever since.
But as for football itself, I've been playing the sport since I could walk, which is near enough 25 years ago. It really is a passion of mine, and I enjoy the competition, being able to get involved in the team effort, and trying to win games and even targeting trophies.
The obvious benefit to sport, in fact any kind of physical activity, is the exercise and improved fitness involved. But sport is great for uniting like-minded people with similar backgrounds in the same place. It's a great opportunity to get to know people in similar situations as yourself and make long-lasting friendships. I’ve certainly got loads of mates now who also turn out for Sunderland.
At the moment we're all focusing on our pre-season preparations ahead of our first competitive game in September. It's all about regaining our fitness levels after the summer months, with the aim of improving match performances.
There is one other activity that’s on the horizon for us, and it is a bit unusual…
Sunderland Deaf AFC will be walking a mile in high heels on Saturday 5 September, to raise funds to pay for travel expenses to play against other deaf teams all over England in the new season.
Yes, that’s high heeled shoes.
The walk will be from the Queen Victoria Hotel to Seaburn Centre, which the organiser assures me is exactly one mile! The whole team will be out in heels in order to fundraise for the club as we depend on internal fundraising efforts to keep us going.
Deaf football is expensive, as we travel to all corners of the UK in pursuit of trophies, with a game coming up in London against Barnet Deaf FC. Any money raised will go a long way to helping our players. Please be generous, and come down and lend your support if you can.
You can find out more about Active Summer Fun. Find out and play out this summer. UK Deaf Sport encourages people who are deaf or hard of hearing to participate, enjoy and excel at sport.
