Council celebrates UN Disability Day with push on sport

Tower Hamlets Council works hard to promote sport to all its residents and to ensure there are plenty of place to take part in a wide variety of sport throughout the borough. It takes an inclusive approach: so one strand of its work ensures that the needs of people with disabilities are included in the sports promotion programme.

The Council marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities last week by paying tribute to two local residents who have got well stuck in to their sport and have done it very well. Their stories are set out below.

•To find out more about sport for people with disabilities in Tower Hamlets, go to:
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/leisure_and_culture/sport_and_physical_activity/disability_sports.aspx

Aminul: never sitting still
Aminul Islam from Bethnal Green has had problems using his legs all his life. He began wheelchair racing eight years ago and every Saturday morning he can be found at Mile End Stadium, training with his fellow wheelchair racers. He is also a regular at the Mile End Park Leisure Centre gym. His training has built up extra strength in his upper body, which helps him to get around using a single walker.
“I am the most active amongst my friends,” said Aminul. As well as sport, Aminual also has a huge passion for Japanese culture – from anime to J Pop. He hopes to combined his two passions in 2020 – by representing his country at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
“You should not be discouraged by your disability”, Aminul said. “There are plenty of sports and opportunities out there if you’re willing to look. “If one part of your body is shut down, another can be up. This is one thing I have done: I’ve worked my arms, shoulders and core in the gym to compensate for the lack of use of my legs.”

Sheila comes on board
Sheila Pobee has always been passionate about sport. In 2006, Sheila had a serious hip injury and the surgery she needed for the injury left her less mobile than she had been before.
When she was at Morpeth School, she competed for the borough in the London Youth Games’ disability athletics event against 32 other London boroughs. She used to be an active swimmer at Mile End Park Leisure Centre, but her absolute favourite is athletics – which leads to spending lots of time in the gym. Now, in her mid 20s, she has just become a convert to wheelchair racing.
Sheila recently became a Para Legacy Agent by successfully completing a course run by Motivate East (part of the Legacy for London 2012). This means she volunteers her time to inspire and support disabled people to participate in sport and physical activity. Sheila explained, “My ambition in life is to help people be healthy, whether disabled or not. Using what I have achieved on my course will help me do that. Sport is a good hobby to have, whether professionally or just as a hobby.”

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