CASTLE Douglas judo athlete Sean Allan has been selected to compete on the world stage at the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games.
The 20-year-old, who attends Dumfries and Galloway College and Better Lives Partnership and trains regularly at Castle Douglas Judo Club, will be part of the GB delegation of more than 80 athletes in June, who will compete alongside more than 7000 other athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the world.
Sean will be joined in Berlin by coach Luke Struthers, who runs the Castle Douglas Judo Club and Dumfries Judo Academy and also works as West Scotland regional development officer for JudoScotland.
Luke said: “Sean has been on an incredible journey since he first came to the Judo club as an eight-year-old in 2011.
“He was initially quite shy and struggled to adjust to the different environment, but his confidence levels have soared and he’s a very popular athlete within the club.
“Being able to compete at a Special Olympics World Games is a fantastic opportunity, while Sean has previously medalled in the East Scotland Special Needs Judo Championships, competitive opportunities for him can be limited and he has been waiting a long time for this opportunity. Everyone at the club is very excited for him and will be following his progress closely.”
Judo is a big part of Sean’s family life with his brother and foster brother currently volunteering as coaches at the club, and his foster mother acting as the welfare officer.
Special Olympics GB was last year announced as one of 12 charity partners of Jingle Jam, the world’s biggest charity gaming event. The 14-day-long gaming-fest in December raised more than £200,000 to help send the Special Olympics GB Team to Berlin 2023.
Special Olympics GB is the UK’s largest provider of year-round sports training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities.
