Matt Sealy visits the staff and students at Quilters Junior School during their Paralympic Week for an inspiring day of Wheelchair Basketball
“Your response to a setback or challenge is really important. If you can keep working hard, ask for support from your teammates and never give up, you will reach your OWN success eventually.”
It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s the annual Quilters Junior School Paralympics Week, and we had the pleasure of celebrating with the staff and students again during an inspiring Wheelchair Basketball Programme.
In previous years, we have visited Quilters with the incredible Danielle Brown MBE, Laura Sugar MBE and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan. This year, we were delighted to be invited back with the inspirational Matt Sealy, who showed everyone a thing or two on the basketball court in his wheelchair and shared more about his disability with the students during our day.
Matt spent the day sharing stories of his experiences at the Paralympics, competing at the highest level in Wheelchair Basketball and how he manages his daily life with his two different wheelchairs.
Matt also shared his experiences in and out of sport and how they match up to the Quilters Quest Wall. Matt gave examples of how he has had to show self-belief, resilience, teamwork, empathy and pride during the highs and lows of his career. As an athlete who has been in a wheelchair most of his life, the students learnt so much about Matt’s ‘can do’ attitude and how he takes on daily challenges.
The students at Quilters always give their all to our sporting programmes and try to show our role models their best selves. We especially loved seeing these students working hard and supporting each other during their practical sessions and when they were cheering for each other on the sidelines. It was great to have Make Change with us on the day, who supported our programme with Jay, their Wheelchair Basketball Coach and their sports Wheelchairs.
Our Programmes at Quilters challenge the students to work on their schools five ways to wellbeing and we love how sport can support and guide the students in these areas.
Giving to others
Connecting with others
Taking notice of the world around you
Wanting to learn and improve
Being active
The students asked some brilliant questions for our Ambassador throughout the day and during our assembly. Some of the best questions were;
How did you get into Wheelchair Basketball?
What is your disability?
How do you get from your day chair to your basketball chair?
Why do you love taking part in Wheelchair Basketball?
How did you get to the basketball hoop and cut it off?
How does it feel to be at the Paralympics?
How old were you when you started liking sports?
Where in the world have you travelled playing Wheelchair Basketball?
Who inspired you?
Matt is a current player and coach at London Titans. You can learn more about the Titans and watch Matt play via YouTube or find a club near you to get involved and get active via the club finder here.
We are so grateful to Quilters Junior School for inviting Team Mintridge to be a part of their special Paralympics Week and we hope the students gained a lot from their day with Matt and Jay from Make Change.
If you would like to see the photos from our day, please contact the staff at Quilters Junior School.
We can’t wait to see you all again soon!
Thanks
Team Mintridge
If you are interested in a Programme with any of our Mintridge Ambassadors, or you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with one of our team of inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website or with Katie.
If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with our Mintridge Ambassadors and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Fitswarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
Northfolds Road
Corby
Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk
