Blog

• Launching Wheelchair Alliance

  20 July 2015
    You may have seen a picture of me sitting in a wheelbarrow this week and as you may guess it is not a regular occurrence for me. I have been… Read More

• Travelling across the Channel

  12 August 2015
  This week I had to travel through the channel tunnel in my car and after reading for weeks about the delays and disruption I was surprised to find that there… Read More

• Changing Perceptions is Ongoing

  07 August 2015
  One of the changes that I have seen since the 2012 games is how all people are thinking very differently about disability sport. Children were always accepting of disabled athletes… Read More

• Congratulations to President Seb

  21 August 2015
  I was delighted to wake up yesterday morning and hear the news that Seb Coe is the new President of the IAAF.  It is perhaps not the best timing for… Read More

• The Concept of Celebrity

  04 September 2015
  The word 'celebrity' is a bit strange and in many cases it can be used in quite a derogatory way.  Most of the time I think about it being used… Read More

• Getting the Nation Fit and Healthy

  11 September 2015
  The nation’s health and fitness is becoming a bigger part of everyone’s consciousness and in the last year there has been in an increase in awareness.  In recent research over… Read More

• The GREAT North Run

  18 September 2015
  It is impossible to talk about the Great North Run without first saying how tragic it is that someone died this weekend.  You don't think that in an event which… Read More

• Attitude to Women in Football

  25 September 2015
  I might find myself getting in to some hot water this week about something that Chelsea Football club is saying is an ‘internal staffing matter’.  Dr Eva Carneiro leaving the… Read More

• My Dad, The Educator

  02 October 2015
  My dad always told me 'Education gives you choices" and it's true.  He meant it both in what you learnt at school, and what you learnt about the world.  I… Read More

• Schools - Maybe they are cool

  09 October 2015
  Every year I am able to visit a number of schools to either talk about my previous life in sport or to talk about Politics.  We have a House of… Read More

• Pssst…..I'm Welsh

  16 October 2015
  I feel slightly awkward mentioning in passing that I am a Welsh Rugby supporter.  I was born and brought up in Wales and have still just about lived there for… Read More

• Can we be equal?

  23 October 2015
  Can it be right that two wheelchair users who want to attend a sporting event together are not 'allowed' to sit with each other?  If this happened to any other… Read More

• Can Doha Change Attitudes?

  30 October 2015
  When Doha is mentioned in the news it may be more about the World Cup that is going to be hosted in 2022 rather the IPC World Athletics Championships that… Read More

• The DDA - has it worked?

  06 November 2015
  Twenty years ago the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) came in to force.  At the time it was carried through by the then MP William Hague and the latter stages by… Read More

• Russian Doping Allegations

  13 November 2015
  I can't let this week go by without mentioning Russia, and Athletics and drugs.  I knew on Monday morning that there was going to be an announcement at 2pm  By… Read More

• Welfare Reform, Its Back

  20 November 2015
  On Tuesday this week we started the Welfare Reform and Work Bill and the next few months are going to be pretty busy and probably with lots of challenges in… Read More

• Stargazing

  27 November 2015
    I have never thought that much about looking at the stars through a telescope because I think every experience I have tried to have has been largely inaccessible.  Last week… Read More

• Taking the good with the bad

  11 December 2015
  This week I have been taken up with doing my first graduations as Chancellor of Northumbria University (which was a massive celebration of achievement and a lot of fun), and… Read More

• The Kindness of Strangers

  18 December 2015
  There are moments when something good happens and you remember that people are mostly just genuinely nice and kind. I went over to Barnard Castle on Saturday and at about 11.20… Read More

• Christmas Telly - its changed a bit!

  24 December 2015
  It used to be so much easier when there was only really two TV channels at Christmas.  I remember the excitement of getting the Christmas TV times (other magazines are… Read More