Our Incredible History
SportsAble began as WAMDSAD 38 years ago in 1975 and its founding members are still a part of the Club today. It started with just a handful of members and now has over 600 people actively taking part in sport each week.
SportsAble wouldn’t be the large, impressive and influential organisation that is today without the passion, vision and drive of its founder members. They got together to form a network of disabled sports clubs and never thought or acted small.
Aiming as high as they possibly could, within a year of setting up they had athletes entered in the 1976 Paralympics and every year since then SportsAble members have had successes at regional, national and Paralympic competitions. SportsAble instantly filled a gap that had been missing for years and continues to do so today.
As members have won international and national recognition and awards so too has the Club itself. In 1996 WAMDSAD won the Top Club Award for the best sports club for the disabled in the UK and the Local Sports Council Award for the best-developed club in the district. In 2001 SportsAble were runners-up in the Sports Club of the Year Awards, organised by the Central Council of Physical Recreation for all voluntary clubs (able bodied and disabled) in the UK.
Over the years SportsAble has impressed the likes of Royalty with visits from The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Princess Anne, HRH the Earl of Wessex and many of the nation’s favourite sporting and entertainment stars are or have been involved with the club: Sir Stephen Redgrave, Sir Terry Wogan, Sir Michael Parkinson, to name just a few.
In all the years and with all its successes SportsAble has never lost the essence of its original mission: to provide fun, friendship and opportunity to disabled people in sport.
Being a member of SportsAble represents more than being a member of a regular sports club. It is about joining a community of friends, of athletes and of volunteers. It is about giving people meaning to their lives and providing them with a platform for greater things.
It is safe to say that SportsAble has done much to change the face of disabled sport in the area, in this country and indeed the world over. We are looking forward to an exciting new era with our fantastic brand SportsAble. Come and join in with us for the next 387 years and more!
AWARDS THAT WE HAVE WON
We are pleased to announce that the work of our athletes, volunteers and coaches has been acknowledged and highly commended by local and national sporting and governing bodies. Congratulations to everyone
• Lifetime Achievement Award for services to sport, 2010, Ray Fields, RBWM
• Lifetime Achievement Award for services to sport, 2011, John Greaves, RBWM
• Lifetime Achievement Award for services to sport, 2012, Alan Kenny, RBWM
• Team of the Year 2012: SportsAble Sports Coaches, RBWM Voluntary Action
• Volunteer of the Year 2012: Vivienne Davies, RBWM Voluntary Action
• Star Club of the Year: SportsAble, Nationwide EDFS 2012
• Club of the Year 2012: SportsAble, Get Berkshire Active Inspiration & Participation Awards
• Disability Project of the Year 2012: SportsAble,
Get Berkshire Active Inspiration & Participation Awards
• Lifetime Achievement Award 2013: Dr Chris Meaden,
Get Berkshire Active Inspiration & Participation Awards
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Mention, 2013: John Greaves,
Get Berkshire Active Inspiration & Participation Awards
• Junior Sports Personality of the Year 2013: Lucie Bouron, English Table Tennis Association
• Young Sports Champion 2013: Lucie Bouron, Pride of Bracknell Awards
• Young Sports Champion 2013, Runner-Up, Tia Ruel, Pride of Bracknell Awards
