Tayside disability sports star Gemma Lumsdaine is no stranger to overcoming adversity.
The 21-year-old full-time wheelchair user was born with cerebral palsy which affects her mobility and co-ordination.
As a youngster she struggled with her self-esteem and self-confidence.
She felt isolated and alone and by the end of primary school, she was very unhappy because she couldn’t accept who she was.
Through playing disability sport, however, she “saw what is possible” – going on to not only play wheelchair basketball and rugby but more recently becoming a wheelchair basketball coach.
Now the second year Abertay University sport and exercise student hopes to inspire a whole new generation of disabled youngsters after being nominated for a prestigious UK Coaching award.
The award-winning Dundee Dragons wheelchair sports club coach has been nominated in the Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year category and will attend a glittering showpiece awards ceremony at The HAC, City of London on November 29.
Gemma, of Monifieth, told The Courier: “I actually found I had been nominated when I got an email. I knew nothing about it beforehand. I’m absolutely amazed. UK Coaching is a huge organisation –UK wide – so to be selected as a finalist is a massive honour really. There are some really influential people on the awards list. It’s amazing to be recognised!”
Dundee Dragoons is a multi-sports wheelchair sports club whose members, with lots of different disabilities, range in age from seven to 58.
Gemma has been coaching weekly sessions for about four years and also organises the basketball side of the club. Before that she was more informally involved leading children’s groups.
Based at Dundee and Angus College, the club’s priority is grassroots participation but it also has people who play at elite level.
Gemma took part in swimming and horse riding from a young age.
But when the Dragons started in 2013, that’s when she really got into team sports –going on to play wheelchair basketball for Scotland and wheelchair rugby for the GB development team.
Having gained so much confidence from the sporting opportunities that have opened up to her over the years, she loves being able to “give something back” as a coach.
“I think for me, if it wasn’t for my disability there’s no way I’d have had the opportunities that I’ve had or be doing the things that I’m doing really,” said Gemma, who has won a number of awards both locally and nationally including Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Best in Class 2016 and the Angus sports personality of the year for people with a disability 2017.
“For me it’s been difficult at points in my life to deal with but without it I wouldn’t really be who I am or got to where I am or be doing what I’m doing. It’s important to have perspective on it as well.”
Gemma added that there’s always improvements to be made, but generally the Dragons and other organisations within the area are “really helping to create opportunities and to knock down barriers for people with physical and learning disabilities”.
“You have to do things in a slightly different way to the norm,” she said of the hurdles that sometimes have to be overcome as a disabled person, “but you find ways of working, and sport is a great way to promote independence. For me sport really encouraged me to be more independent.
“Instead of saying I can’t do that, finding ways to work your way around things is really good. It’s always what I’m encouraging the young children I coach to do as well. They might not be able to do something one way but you try and encourage them to work the way to do it really.
“I think that’s a great skill to be learning.”
UK Coaching officially announced the finalists for the 2018 UK Coaching Awards on Monday.
A judging panel, consisting of experts from the coaching, sport and physical activity sector, deliberated from a record amount of nominations to select 33 finalists across 11 categories, recognising their great coaching achievements over the last 12 months.
Hosted by UK Coaching, the showpiece annual event is seen as one of the most prestigious by the coaching community.
