View Poll Results: Which dates can you do in 2011?
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I went to Stoke Mandeville today..
...and came away thoroughly ashamed of myself.
I was ashamed that, as I drove into the hospital sports complex, the magnificent, state-of-the-art building on my left contrasted so starkly with the leaky, draughty, smelly, 1940s Nissen hut on my right that housed the disabled shooters.
I was ashamed that, as a representative of my sport, I hadn't been aware of this disgraceful disparity between the facilities enjoyed by other disabled sports people, and those endured by the disabled shooters.
I was ashamed as I studied the 'facilities' the disabled shooters have, the leaking toilets, the lack of heating, the buckets meant for the collection of funds now pressed into service as drip-catchers and many other things I can't publicise.
I was ashamed that this is the national centre for disabled shooters, from where our representatives at the Paralympic Games and other championships must come - and somehow do, despite the awful state of the place.
Most of all, though, I was deeply ashamed of the times I've moaned and bleated about my own medical problems over the past year, when all around me were people of all ages enjoying their sport and staying positive, with only a fraction of the advantages I have, and so many more challenges than I've ever faced.
I was horrified, angry, despairing and frustrated in turn, as was my colleague, Nigel Allen, Bill Sanders of Air Arms and Peter Martineau of BSA, all of us there on behalf of the Airgun Manufacturers and Traders Association. We all spoke at length to the shooters and the officials from their Association, in an effort to find out more about the situation and what was needed to improve it.
After an hour or two I noticed something; none of the disabled people were moaning about things, they just got on with their shooting. I mentioned this to a shooter and what he said brought tears to my eyes. He told me 'most of us have serious stuff to think about just to do the things everyone else takes for granted. We generally don't have the time and energy to complain, we just get on with it - and that's probably why we get treated like we do. Another fact of our lives, is that many of us won't be around long-term, so we don't want to waste the time we have on negative things.'
The tears came when I discovered that a lady I'd interviewed a couple of years ago, Isobel Newstead, had passed away in January. Isobel was a fantastic person and a seriously talented shooter, and I'd managed to get some sponsorship sorted out for her a while back. To hear that she had died was a real shock and I just couldn't bring myself to talk to her husband, who was helping out at the shoot.
We came away from Stoke Mandeville with a resolution to do what we could, and what we should, for these shooters. We're not sure what that will be, but we're determined to make a difference somehow or other.
Actually, we can all do something; if you're going to the CLA Game Fair, look out for people collecting for the Disabled Shooters Association, and drop what you can into their buckets. Every penny goes directly toward this fantastic cause, and believe me it needs all the help it can get.
Thanks for reading this, and above all, enjoy your shooting and be grateful that you can do so to the full. Just spare a thought, and a few quid, for those that aren't so lucky.
All the best.
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