Hull in print

"Many disabled people think they can't come to an ice rink, so it's all a matter of perception and access. I want to see more ice time for sledge hockey and disabled young people." - Simon Berry

Sledge hockey is not for the faint-hearted. It's physical, competitive and demands skill and speed. It's the world's fastest-growing team sport, and Hull is one of the leading centres for the game in Great Britain.

"I like to challenge the way people think and see things. There's always a better way of living, and sport is a great place to start.
"Being in a wheelchair is no problem, it's being denied access to society that is the real challenge disabled people face.
"I'm working with disabled young people to hopefully change things for the better, to give them opportunities in sport and leisure."
Simon Berry, 43, plays in defence for the Kingston Kestrels sledge hockey team at Hull Arena.
He is in the Great Britain team, and was in action at the Winter Paralympics in Turin, Italy, earlier this year.
He is also the development officer for the British Sledge Hockey Association, a role through which he wants to raise the profile of the sport and get more people involved.
And he advises Hull City Council, along with disabled young people, through the Young People's Inclusion Network. It looks at ways of improving access to places such as East Park and sports centres across the city.
It hardly needs saying – sport and access to society for all inspire Simon to achieve great things.
"Experiences like the Paralympics inspire me to keep training, playing and promoting sledge hockey. I want other disabled people and wheelchair users to know the thrill of the sport.
"When you step into the arena at the opening ceremony in front of 30,000 people, you feel amazing and proud to have achieved your goal.
"And playing the host nation in front of thousands of home fans shouting 'Italy-Italy-Italy' really got the heart pounding. We also played Canada, the gold medal winners.
"Many disabled people think they can't come to an ice rink, so it's all a matter of perception and access. I want to see more ice time for sledge hockey and disabled young people.
"Hull Arena has been a catalyst for the development of the sport. It has made ice time available, so we regularly have players travelling from Nottingham and Manchester for training sessions, as well as local players turning out.
"Sledge hockey has a small community of players in this country, but it needs to grow.
"To do that we need to improve access across the country, allow more disabled young people to play, and get them to a level where they can experience elite competition.
"Anyone can give it a go, and we welcome non-disabled people as well as players with impairments. We make a point of not excluding anyone."
Simon has been a wheelchair user since he suffered a spinal injury in a motor-bike accident in 1982.
It changed his life.
But in the years following the incident, he worked as a telephone engineer for Kingston Communications, before leaving the industry four years ago to go into youth work.
Told he could never have children after his spinal injury, Simon proved doctors wrong when his daughter Frances Beatrice was born 17 months ago.
A keen DIY enthusiast, he wants to write books on doing up a home from a wheelchair, and another based on his experiences flying around the world for sledge hockey tournaments.
And with the London Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 drawing ever closer, Simon is hoping to represent his country in summer events.
"I'd love to compete in London. Tennis and rowing are two disciplines that I have in mind. Who knows what the future may hold?"
But for now, the ice man wants to develop his number one sport, and make Great Britain more competitive.
Sledge hockey is a full-contact sport, and shoulder barging is allowed, so it builds upper-body strength. The only things you can't do are ramming sledges from behind or colliding head-on, for safety reasons.
Sledges run on two blades. Players turn by shifting their weight left or right. Players use two sticks, which have one end shaped for hitting the puck, the other with a spike attached for pushing on the ice.
Each side has five outfield players on the ice at any one time, and a net-minder. Could you follow in Simon's tracks and be one of them?

To find out more about sledge hockey, or to arrange a session on the ice, call Simon on 467553. Also visit www.bsha.co.uk *


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