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UK Sport guest blog: Peter Eriksson Part Two

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Peter Eriksson 30 January 2012

Peter Eriksson - UK Sport blog: part two, how progress was made

In recent years we’ve operated, and are currently operating, integrated training camps alongside the Olympic Programme in Italy, South Africa and the USA. I’ve just returned from a period at the South Africa camp and it’s been great to see the guys get down to some really hard work in a distraction free and well focused environment. Next stop for me is Australia where our wheelchair athletes are training and competing on a world class racing circuit.

In my opinion, the most significant change since I started working with UKA in January 2009 is the overall improved level of integration, evidenced in part through the training camps, which is thanks in part to the invaluable support of UKA CEO Niels de Vos and Chair Ed Warner who have bought into the concept completely.

Also, the quality of coaching, camps, services and the support we receive has massively improved. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by UK Sport with our Paralympic athletes, 88% agreed that the World Class Programme (WCP) provides them with the support that meets their individual needs and 94% agreed that their squad/team is confident in its ability to achieve its performance goals at London 2012. Those are just two highlights.

I’d like to take the opportunity at this point to congratulate Phil Peat who has just completed the final workshop of the UK Sport Paralympic Coach Development initiative. Launched in April 2011, the Paralympic-specific programme came about following a period of consultation with a number of sports who had requested assistance in the area of development of the coaching workforce through Mission 2012. It’s another example of good progress and increased professionalism.

Continuing the good coaching news, in November last year we announced that five-time Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc, the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time with 14 Paralympic gold medals, would join the ParalympicsGB athletics team as a coach and athlete mentor for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

She will attend all key preparation camps and competitions from January 2012 and will work directly with Britain’s wheelchair racers alongside Kelly Smith, a marathon silver medallist for Canada in the 2004 Paralympics, and me.

I coached Chantal for 18 years and I can honestly say it was a big scoop for us to recruit someone with her outstanding talent. It’s vital for the team that in addition to building the best possible squad of athletes - which I believe we currently have following the strict funding review in November - we need to have a top class coaching team in place and with the addition of Chantal I think we’re making that happen. Not only can she offer first rate coaching advice, but she can motivate, inspire and guide our athletes after a successful and lengthy career of her own.

We’re doing a great job and if we can maintain that momentum, and with the joint efforts of the Home Countries, we not only have a great base for the London Paralympic Games in 2012 but tremendous momentum for Rio 2016 and beyond.

 

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