GET KIDS GOING! GO GOLDEN IN LONDON

David (in white) on his way to victory at the 2012 Virgin London Marathon Men's Wheelchair Race

The Get Kids Going! team enjoyed a clean-sweep at the 2012 Virgin London Marathon as David Weir, Shelly Woods and Sheikh Sheikh all raced to victory on Sunday 22nd April. As the start of a wonderful sporting summer takes shape, all three admit that the support they have enjoyed from Get Kids Going! has been instrumental in their continued success.

Get Kids Going! Vice President David Weir secured a remarkable sixth London Marathon title in the Men’s Wheelchair Race as he crossed the finishing line in 01:32:26. The peerless athlete, pictured above, who has been supported by Get Kids Going! since age twelve, powered to victory on Sunday and admitted the victory felt as good as his first title.

Get Kids Going! Ambassador Shelly Woods, who has been supported by Get Kids Going! since age fourteen, also took a gold medal in the Women’s Wheelchair Race as she decimated the elite field to win in a time of 01:49:10. The Daily Telegraph said that Shelly “dominated the women's race from start to finish, both tactically and technically”, finishing almost four minutes clear of her nearest rivals.

The Get Kids Going! junior racers also did the charity proud as they secured the top three places in the ‘Under 17 Boys Wheelchair Race’. Sheikh Sheikh edged a close battle with Will Smith to take the Gold Medal by just six seconds in a time of 12:30. Jack Binstead completed a remarkable day for Get Kids Going! as he secured third place in the same event.

WELL DONE TO ALL OUR FANTASTIC YOUNG ATHLETES

GREAT BRITAIN TAKE SILVER IN WHEELCHAIR RUGBY EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Get Kids Going! support Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby by providing the team with their Paralympic Rugby wheelchairs. The team, pictured above during a recent event, are showing great form in the build up to the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

The Great Britain Wheelchair Rubgy team achieved great success by claiming a silver medal at the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) European Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland on Sunday 9th October.

By claiming the silver medal, the Great Britain team also confirmed their qualification for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby CEO David Pond reflected on his blog :

“It has been a tough tournament – just what we have needed at this stage of our paralympic preparation – and I think we can be proud that our new look team is really starting to shape up.”

Great Britain had defeated previous European Champions Belgium by a single point before succumbing to Sweden 49-42 in the final.

Get Kids Going! has teamed up with Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) to support talented wheelchair rugby players on their journey to sporting excellence. This year Get Kids Going! have supported the 'Florida Project', an 8 week intensive international training camp where some of the brightest young talents in wheelchair rugby come together. Get Kids Going! Will continue to support Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby with bespoke rugby wheelchairs all the way to the 2012 Paralympics. Aaron Phipps from the Florida project said: “Being a part of the Florida project has got me closer to playing for Great Britain. Thanks Get Kids Going!”

CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM GB ON A FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS!

SHELLY SECOND IN NEW YORK!

Shelly Woods in action earlier this year

Shelly Woods, Get Kids Going! wheelchair athlete, surprised the charity by deciding at the last minute to take part in the New York City Marathon Wheelchair Race on Sunday November 6th. Bride-to-be Shelly came second in the Women’s Wheelchair race at the ING New York City Marathon after unexpectedly racing just three weeks prior to her wedding!

Shelly raced to her best ever time in New York – 01:52:52 – but it was not quite enough to win as Amanda McGrory pipped her to the line – gaining revenge for Shelly’s victory at the Bupa Great North Run in September!

Speaking after the race on her Twitter feed , Shelly was quick to offer her congratulations to rival and friend Amanda. The pair have swapped a number of victories in recent months as the build up to the 2012 Paralympic Games in London hots-up!

Shelly is one of Britain’s best medal hopes and has been supported by Get Kids Going! since age fourteen. She believes that without the support of the charity, she would not be competing at the level she is now.

Shelly will be marrying her fiancée Chris in her home town of Lytham St Annes – we wish the couple all the best.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SHELLY ON A PERSONAL BEST IN THE ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON WHEELCHAIR RACE!

GET KIDS GOING! RUNNERS RULE THE ROYAL PARKS FOUNDATION HALF MARATHON!

Motahar Hossain (second from left) posing with his medal at the Get Kids Going! stand after the race.

Motahar Hossain was one of the fabulous Get Kids Going! runners who took part in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon on Sunday 9th October 2011.

Motahar completed the course in a time of 01:42:11 and said after the race that it was a fantastic course and great to run for Get Kids Going!

The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon is one of the most scenic city runs in the world, with a beautiful 13.1 mile autumnal route through four of London’s magnificent Royal Parks and past some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.

If you, like Motahar, would like to help Get Kids Going!, you can sign up for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon in 2012 by clicking here and entering and paying online. It’s easy and safe.


WELL DONE TO ALL OUR FANTASTIC RUNNERS AT THE ROYAL PARKS FOUNDATION HALF MARATHON!!!!!

GET KIDS GOING! TEAM BRILLIANT IN BERLIN

Craig Fenemore was just one of many Get Kids Going! runners who took part in this year’s BMW Berlin Marathon on 25th September 2011.

Craig crossed the finishing line in a time of 03:36:22 and can be seen in the picture above posing with his hard-won medal!

The course is a famously fast and flat 26-mile loop and bills itself as “the fastest marathon in the world”. This loop starts and ends at one of Berlin's most outstanding monuments - the Brandenburg Gate. After the runners set off they will come across famous locations such as the Reichstag, the Rathaus Schoenberg, Potsdamer Platz (near to the line of the Berlin Wall), and many others, before making their way back to the Brandenburg Gate and the finish line!

If you, like Craig, would like to help Get Kids Going! by running the Berlin Marathon, please do sign up for BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 here!!!!!

WELL DONE TO ALL OUR FANTASTIC RUNNERS AT THE BMW BERLIN MARATHON!!

SUPER SHELLY STORMS TO VICTORY AT BUPA GREAT NORTH RUN!

Shelly Woods retained her wheelchair title and won the Bupa Great North Run title for a fourth time in a time of 50:14 ahead of the USA's Amanda McGrory and Italy's Francesca Porcellato. The race, which took place in Newcastle on Sunday 18th August, is generally considered to be one of the world’s best half marathons and attracted a star studded field.

The victory marks another highlight for Shelly in 2011 following impressive recent performances and continues Shelly’s domination over the Newcastle course. Shelly is a massive fan of Get Kids Going! and has been supported by the charity since aged 14. In an interview last month, Shelly said that without the support of the charity, she would not be competing at the level she is now.

If you too would like to compete in the fantastic Bupa Great North Run in 2012 you can sign up and pay online using the following link . There are also plenty of other events coming up including The Bupa Great South Run in Portsmouth on October 30th 2011; The Virgin London Marathon 2012 ; The Paris Marathon 2012 and many others.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SHELLY ON ANOTHER FANTASTIC VICTORY!

JOSH PARTNERS PM!!

Get Kids Going! was represented at International Paralympic day on the 8th September in Trafalgar Square as Josh Steels partnered David Cameron in an exhibition tennis match. The pair played a match against London mayor Boris Johnson and his partner as the day helped to promote next year’s Paralympic Games which run from 29th August to 9th September 2012.

Get Kids Going! wheelchair-tennis player Josh has been in fine form recently and has competed all over Europe in the aim of boosting his world ranking. 18 year-old Josh was a runner up in the National Wheelchair Tennis Championships in May and also helped Great Britain to a fourth-placed finish at the World Team Cup, staged in South Africa in April. Josh believes his new Get Kids Going!-funded wheelchair has helped to improve his performances this year and credits the charity with helping him out massively with the financial costs of competing.

Speaking to the BBC just after the event, Get Kids Going! President Sebastian Coe said, “People get Paralympic sport in this country. Our history in the Paralympic movement and that many of our Paralympians are household names gives us a real head start in this country.”

Paralympic tickets are on sale now here …so Get Kids Going! encourages everyone to make the most of this opportunity to see the fantastic Get Kids Going! athletes in action.