21st November 2022

It's just been announced by Special Olympics Great Britain that Jersey Special Gym Club's Chloe Russell has been selected for the 2022 World Games in Berlin next year.

She is among the first 58 athletes to represent their country, and will compete in artistic gymnastics.

What a superb achievement this is for Chloe, coming just a week after being awarded the    Team Trophy at the JSAD's annual awards.

Her selection is even more remarkable given the backdrop of our Gym Club not having a home to use for training at this time.

What an inspiration is Chloe to all of us, and we wish her the best of luck at The Berlin 2023 Games

JULY 2022

Guy Gilson, one of the incredibly hard-working JSAD committee members, and tennis coach, completed the 2022 Accuro Jersey Triathlon in inhospitable scorchingly hot conditions, raising £1655.

He finished in a time of 2 Hours 54 minutes and 34 seconds, and considering the conditions, one with which he was quite happy. "The time was ok under the circumstances," said Guy after the race.

"I think I was slightly undercooked fitness-wise as had a couple of niggly injuries in the run-up (age related no doubt!), and conditions were tougher than my previous experience, so I have to be happy beating 3 hours, I guess."

Guy was happy to ensure that the JSAD were rewarded for all his efforts. "My favourite charity, run by a diverse bunch of generous volunteers with a never-say-die attitude right across the membership".

So, will Guy be putting himself through this all again? "Yes, I’ll be back. Each time you learn some more about the preparation and the tactics!

In some brilliant news to start 2021, Mark Jones has been rewarded for his tireless work supporting the learning disabilities community in Jersey.

He has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year's Honours list.

This fantastic achievement will be especially applauded by the considerable number of JSAD members who regularly enjoy sporting opportunities created by, or supported by Mark.

(You can find out more about these by going to our Learning Disabilities Football page and aslo to our LD Bowling section.)

Mark told BBC Jersey that he thought it was a bit of a wind-up at first.
 

“When I realised it was genuine, I got completely over-emotional when it dawned on me what a fantastic honour it was. Such a proud, proud moment.”
 

“It’s hard to put into words the joy I get from working with those with learning disabilities. They enjoy it so much and are so appreciative. It’s fantastic all around, to be honest.”

And he has plenty of praise for the way disability sport is encouraged in Jersey. “We have a fantastic umbrella organisation in the JSAD, and they do incredible work – there are so many volunteers who do the same work as I do, so really my award is for all the volunteers.”

JSAD chairman Paul Patterson MBE enthusiastically welcomed the news. "Well done Mark, and I am sure that all JSAD members will join me in congratulating you on your well deserved award."

So. let us all raise a glass to Mark Jones, and to the prospect of getting some disability sport operating again when it's safe to so do.

The JSAD was presented with three brand new sports wheelchairs, courtesy of Peritus Investment Consultancy, in partnership with the Lord's Taverners and Lady Taverners Jersey.

Peritus have provided the gardienne funding for the wheelchairs, which were supplied by the Taverners. Each chair costs £3,500, and the gardienne funding is vital to ensure safe keeping of this valuable kit.

James Day, Managing Director of Peritus said: "JSAD has grown into one of Jersey's largest sporting organisations, offering a wide range of sports to all ages and disability ranges."

He added: "It is a pleasure to support such a worthy cause as part of our CSR commitment, and we are thrilled to have been able to support Lord's Taverners and Lady Taverners to provide more essential chairs."

The Lady Chair of Jersey Lady Taverners, Leanda Jane Guy, was equally enthusiastic. "We have been fund raising in the Island for over 30 years, next year is the Lord's Taverners 70th anniversary," she said. "We presented three chairs in 2018 with partners Stonehage Fleming which were used in the 2019 Outreach programme. It is our pleasure to join forces with Peritus to provide another three much needed chairs."

They both were encouraged to hear that 600 local students took part in the recent Outreach programme.

Find out more about  Peritus Investment Consultancy, who are one of the world's leading independently owned investment consultants.

You can also learn more about the work of the Lord's Taverners by clicking on the link.

Melissa Alves has capped a brilliant year for her by winning the Jersey Sports Council's Achievement in Disability Sports award.
 

She picked up her trophy at the annual Jersey Sports Council awards at the Royal Yacht Hotel.

This comes just over three months after she became the 2018 JSAD Sports Personality of the Year.

It’s another popular win for a JSAD member of many years, who has always supported the aims and objectives of theJSAD to the full as well as taking part in a number of wheelchair sports.
 

Melissa is a great champion of our aims and uses any public speaking opportunity she gets to promote the JSAD and to encourage others with a disability to take part.
 

She has also been a very active fundraiser for JSAD for many years, raising many thousands of pounds through sponsorship of various events.

And, modest and unassuming as ever, she paid tribute to the JSAD. “I would just like to say a very big thank you for nominating me for the award last night”, she said. “It was such a lovely evening, I really had the best time.” 

She made all the volunteers and coaches that give so much time and effort to the association very proud, when she added: “Thank you again! Without JSAD, none of my sports achievements would have been possible! Very grateful to you all.” 

The most successful gymnast ever in the history of the JSAD has called time on his incredible career.

The JSAD has just received an email from his father Gary, which included a statement from Alex which we are happy to show below. 

On behalf of all of us at the JSAD we wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement!

Here is the message from Alex...

At the end of March 2018, I will be officially hanging up my competition handguards.
 

The last 14 years have been incredible and so very rewarding. I am finishing my competitive journey on what I believe to be the height of my sporting career.

This last year I have achieved the following:

Tenth consecutive British Disability National Title.

Represented Jersey in the NatWest Island Games.

Chosen as a British Gymnastics Disability Ambassador.

Awarded the ITV Michael Lucas Sporting Hero Award.

All of which I am extremely proud.

Together with countless Gold medal titles in Special Olympic National, European and World Games representing Great Britain, I have also been recognised by the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled as their Sports Person of the Year and the Jersey Sports Council for Achievement in Disability Sport both on 2 occasions.

I would like to pay special thanks to John Grady MBE for his guidance and encouragement in the early days and Yana Vibert for taking over the task more recently. Ben Frith & the Jersey boys for accepting me onto the Island Games Squad & the Jersey Special Gymnastics Club for all the opportunities.

The press & media have always been behind me reporting on my achievements for which I am grateful & very humbled.

Thank you to my family Dad, Mum & Ben. I could not have achieved all of this without their support.

I am planning to stay around coaching at my club and hopefully pass on what I know to the next generation.

Thank you to all involved in helping me achieve my dreams.

In an already astonishing award-winning 12 months, gymnast Alex Buesnel has gained yet another one.

He has won the Achievement in Disability Sports Award at the annual Jersey Sports Council awards.

He was also nominated for the top prize, Sports Person of the Year, but in the end, that ward went to athlete Sam Dawkins. 

The ceremony took place at the Royal Yacht Hotel.

The charity, which uses the huge value of swimming for physical and psychological rehabilitation for people suffering from mobility issues, or recovering from injury or operations, will now be known as Jersey DIPS Swim Therapy.
 

There are also several changes of personnel, starting at the helm, where Sophie Small is the new Chair.

Gwynneth Morgan takes over as Honorary Secretary, while a team of lifeguards from Aqua Splash is providing the essential lifeguard, without which the pool cannot be opened for members.
 

This comes at a cost - it was found impossible to find a volunteer lifeguard. Sophie Small says: “We are still looking for volunteer lifeguards who are already qualified or would be happy to take the ATSPRA (Aquatic therapy shallow pool rescue award), so we can reduce our charity’s costs and always have people to call upon if needed.”

The charity continues to look for more volunteers to join the committee, and if you want more information, take a look at its Facebook page:

 www.facebook.com/Jsydips
 

Alternatively, you can contact the charity here: jsydips@gmail.com

Many people added their congratulations to Alex on social media.

“Incredible” and “Inspirational” are two words used to descibe JSAD coach Jeannine Carey, who has supported the association for over 25 years,

During that time, she has served as vice chairman for a number of years.

She was nominated in the category “Inspirational” by her two daughters Zoe and Josie, who said: “She has changed so many lives over her years of helping the charity.”

They added:“She has been an incredible role model for us, and is a walking hero!”

Also nominated for a “Pride of Jersey” award is the current JSAD Sportsperson of the Year, Alex Hilton. 
 

He is up for the Fundraiser/Volunteer of the Year, after his exploits in the Five Island Cycle Challenge.

He was nominated, among several others,  by Chantelle-Emma Harvey, who said “This was such a huge success for him and showed others that anything is possible, if you just put your mind to it."

Alex posted on FaceBook: "It's not just an honour for me, but for all disabled islanders out there, as I did what I set out to do for you lot."

For the second time, Jersey Special Gymnastic Club’s head coach Yana Vibert has been nominated for Inspirational Leader of the Year In the 2017 Pride of Jersey awards.
 

Yana has held her position in the club for the last three years, and was GB head coach at the World Games in Los Angeles in 2015. Also that year, she was voted the JSAD Coach of the Year at its annual award ceremony.
 

Husband Phil, who has nominated her this year, says: ”She is a true ambassador for the sport, and is endlessly dedicated to her gymnasts.”

Last, but most certainly not least, a Young Achiever of the Year nomination for maybe the man of the moment in disability sport, Alex Buesnel.

His latest exploits can be found here.
 

Parents Gary and Sharon Buesnel say: “Alex illustrates what can be achieved with determination, commitment, and hard work, even if you have a disability.”

In a year littered with awards, Alex Hilton has now another one on his mantelpiece - The Jersey Sports Council's Achievement in Disability Sport.

Having been, in his own words, inspired by the work of JSAD, Alex – who has a learning disability – is a man that takes part in many sports, which include football, cycling, sailing and running.

In 2016 – and entirely off his own bat – Alex decided to raise funds for the JSAD by challenging himself to cycle around Five Channel Islands in one day. Details of that success can be found here.

JSAD Chairman Paul Patterson said of Alex: "He's a great ambassador for disability sport and a man both inspired by JSAD and a man inspiring others with a disability to have a go at sport."

Alex was named JSAD Sports Personality of the Year in November 2016, and he also scooped the Heather Jones Memorial Award for LD Footballer of the Year at the same occasion.