Wheelchair Basketball Club Take On Birmingham Run
The City of Birmingham Rockets Wheelchair Basketball Club will be taking on this weekend’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run to help raise awareness of inclusive sports.
Andy Craddock, Head Coach for the Rockets Wheelchair Club, will be joined by his son Daniel at the Midlands’ biggest half marathon on Sunday, October 14.
Andy, a learning support assistant at the Queen Alexandra College in Harborne, plays a key part in growing inclusive sport in Birmingham, and is aiming to raise £1,000 for the Motivation Charitable Trust to buy specialist equipment to enable people to rebuild their lives and live independently. His aim is to break down barriers to disability and diversity in Birmingham.
The Great Birmingham Run will see more than 10,000 people of all abilities take on the new and improved 13.1-mile route starting on Broad Street in the city centre.
This year’s run takes in famous sights such as Bournville, Cannon Hill Park and the iconic Selfridges building.
Andy got involved in disability sport after being medically retired after spending 17 years with Royal Mail.
The COB Rockets Wheelchair Basketball Club was launched in November 2017 and meets every Wednesday in Nechells for training sessions.
“It really inspires me to support others and show what their potential can be, hence through my passion and understanding, having a disability/condition myself, I realise how hard it can be for someone, and therefore research and look at ways to infuse and motivate people in a way which benefits them but also suits their needs and help them to reach their targets,” explained Andy.
“I believe in what I do and I think if people know why you do something, then that is part of the battle to engage and motivate them.”
The Rockets’ have seven teams competing within The National Basketball League (NBL), which is governed by Basketball England. Nationwide there are over 700 teams who compete against each other in the NBL.
The club has a long and proud history of competing in the NBL with several players over recent years being selected for National Team honours.
Rockets Managing Director, Robert Palmer, said: “Andy is full of passion and energy for wheelchair basketball. He shares our values so it has been a pleasure to help him realise his dream. The wheelchair club will form an integral part of the Rockets organisation moving forward."
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