26th Inter-Spinal Unit Games Report
16th-18th April 2013, Stoke Mandeville
This week 80 newly-injured spinal patients from the 13 spinal units across the UK competed at WheelPower’s 26th Inter Spinal Unit Games at Stoke Mandeville Stadium
The event is held annually to promote a healthy and active lifestyle through sport for people who have been paralysed in the last year. The games feature a mix of competition and ‘have-a-go’ sessions, allowing participants to experience a wide range of sports. Archery, table tennis, bowls, swimming and shooting are among the activities competitors can take part in.
The Inter-Spinal Unit Games are a great opportunity for people with spinal cord injury to try sports in a supported and encouraging environment. It is Wheel Power’s aim to help transform lives through sport and the Inter Spinal Unit Games is one of the great events that the charity organises to achieve this. The ethos is to encourage participation in sport, which the NSIC’s founder, Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann, began here more than 60 years ago.
For table tennis the players were divided over 3 categories:
• Tetra (male & female): 19 players
• Para male: 22 players
• Para female: 7 players
In the Tetra’s Caroline Hall of Southport won against both the other female players and was therefore the best female tetra. In the mixed tournament she finished fourth.
Results:
| Category | Tetra | Para Male | Para Female | |||
| Player | Unit | Player | Unit | Player | Unit | |
| Winner | Mark Swift | Southport | Ollie Cole | Headley Court | Denise Culhan | Dublin |
| Runner-up | Tony Gibbs | Stoke Mandeville | Jonathan Young | Stoke Mandeville | Laura Haigh | Pinderfields |
| 3rd place | Jason Gunn | Stoke Mandeville | Barry Everitt | Stoke Mandeville | Tracy Powell | Rookwood |
The table tennis event was organised by volunteers Les and Janice Kaye and ETTA disability officers Robbie Payne-Inglis and Aad Kwakkelstein. Les and Janice have run the table tennis at the Inter Spinal Unit Games for more than 10 years!
