East Lothian Leisure Assistant selected for Scottish Paralympic Squad

April 16, 2012 - PRLog -- Twenty five year old Blair, who has eleven caps for Scotland and works as a lifeguard and gym advisor at Thurston Manor Leisure Park near Dunbar, had been  shortlisted for the Great Britain team prior to taking part in the CPISRA (Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association) World Football Championships in Holland in June last year.

Paralysed following a stroke when he was just eleven years old, Blair, who plays left back, says he will have achieved his ultimate ambition when he joins the Paralympic squad in London.  He said;

“To be part of the GB team is amazing and I am over the moon at being picked.  I have been training with the squad since last August and when Scotland came 6th out of 16 teams at the disability football World Championships I hoped I was in with a chance, especially as the top 5 teams were all professional. I have had so much support from friends and family and especially my employers at Verdant Leisure who allow me time off for training.  I am looking forward to everything about the Paralympics, both on pitch and in meeting other athletes and staying in the athletes’ village.  It’s a great team and I believe we have a very real chance of winning gold in September.”

Blair, who began playing football at competition level just two years ago, is now juggling his weekly fitness schedule with trips to Birmingham for regular team training and his job at Thurston Manor Leisure Park.

7-a-side Football has been part of the Paralympic programme since the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games. At London 2012, all matches will be played at the brand new Hockey Centre in the Olympic Park and the playing area and goals are both smaller than in 11-a-side football.
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