Scottish Disability Sport Week | Clubs and Communities
We spent time with our 2023 Inclusion Award winners City of Glasgow Gymnastics Club – disability ahead of the first Scottish Disability Sport Week running from the 27 November to the 3 December.
City of Glasgow’s disability section deliver sessions to upwards of 30 gymnasts across four disciplines: acrobatics, men’s artistic, women’s artistic and rhythmic. The coaches within the section all began with varied levels of experience in disability sport. However, they all work with the same goal to seek and build opportunities for athletes and their families to feel welcomed, supported and inspired through sport.
Ex-rhythmic gymnast turned coach and judge in the discipline from Aberdeen, Jaime Robb has been a vital part in the running of the group. Speaking on her journey into disability gymnastics she said:
“I moved to Glasgow to study and wanted to stay involved in Rhythmic where the local club was at City of Glasgow within the disability section. Since then, I’ve tried to be a proactive member of the gymnastics community driving opportunities and improving awareness of disability gymnastics.”
What adaptations or challenges do you face to best ensure an athlete centered approach?
“During classes I adapt my delivery or demonstrations to suit different learning styles or capabilities as you would when coaching any group. Some adaptations we’ve made is use of shorter ribbons or apparatus of a specific colour.
“I think one of the biggest challenges has been from a judging perspective personally and amongst peers. Generally, it has been a shift from judging deviations from the textbook ‘perfect’ difficulty towards judging deviation from that gymnasts ‘perfect’ difficulty. Giving consideration to how a gymnast’s disability may influence their ‘perfect’ can be tricky if you’ve never had to face it before. Hopefully in time, with higher participation, better education, and more awareness that challenge will decrease.”
Is there any advice you would give on someone new to coaching an athlete/groups with a disability?
“Honestly, don’t be scared and just ask if you’re not sure you’re using the correct language, or proposing a useful adaptation, or what pathways are available. There are lots of helpful resources and points of contact if you need support in ensuring a safe and inclusive environment. Finally, I’ll steal from Nike and say, ‘Just do it!’. Gymnastics can have such a positive impact on someone’s life: offering community, discipline and routine, the chance to learn and achieve so let’s offer that magic to everyone!”

Like athletes with disabilities, there are also the coaches who have their own challenges unique to them. Ramsay Meiklem has been a long-standing member of the section and pursued coaching upon retiring. His successful career as a disability gymnast spanned from British to Special Olympics at European and World level, making him no stranger to the barriers an athlete with a disability could face. Speaking more on how he transitioned into coaching he commented:
“I started volunteering in a recreational disability class, which has a big range of abilities and needs, as some of the older gymnasts I trained with already did too. From there, it became part of my normal routine in the gym, and I became qualified at 18, coaching other groups while still training until 2017.
“I now coach the disability competitive group I once trained with. I also work with ‘mainstream’ competitive and recreational classes, as well as adult classes, where skill and ability can vary greatly also.”
What inspired you to remain in coaching – and decide to become qualified?
“It seemed a natural progression – I reached an age where working became something to consider and I thought, well why not do what I know? It was a way to become independent while being in a familiar and supportive environment. I now also look at coaching as giving back to the group that supported me and gave me opportunities, while keeping in touch with the gymnastics community.”
Are there adaptations in place to assist you in coaching? And is there any advice for someone with a disability looking to volunteer/coach?
“Having a great support network of coaches and members of our club who understand my strengths and needs, enabling me to deliver classes and grow as a coach.
“Reach out and see what support you can find. Discuss coaching with those who you’ll work with, and make sure you’re all on the same page about what you can do and how they can help you do that. Be a bit brave at times and try new skills/preps/disciplines/environments to give yourself new perspectives as well. And make sure you and your gymnasts enjoy it.”
Keep up to date and join in the conversation around this awareness week on social platforms using #ScottishDisabilitySportWeek and find more of our content on our Youtube playlist.
If you would like to find out more about disability gymnastics you can do so on our disability page and through our members area. For further confirmation on disability classification or on getting started on the disabilities competitive pathways, please contact Angela Turner (Chair of British Gymnastics Disability panel and secretary of the FIG ParaGymnastics working group) at angela.turner@british-gymnastics.org.