Care home worker qualifies as Paralympic sport coach

A man with cerebral palsy, who works at a care home in Wrexham, has become a qualified coach in a Paralympic sport.

Matthew Palamarczuk, 29, teaches a sport called Boccia to the residents at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, North Wales, where he works as an admin assistant.

He has now gained a Boccia Leaders Award to teach the Paralympic sport.

The target ball game which is similar to bowls, is for athletes with disabilities, who have problems with their motor skills.

To gain the award, Mr Palamarczuk had to show that he is proficient in things such as teaching skills, understanding the needs of players and empowering them, introducing creativity and fun into sessions, and structuring activities.

He said: “I’ve been laying Boccia for over a year. I like throwing the balls and seeing how close I can get them to the target.

“The game is a lot of fun and it’s very competitive and I definitely play to win. The residents enjoy it as well, and I enjoy teaching it to them.”

Mr Palamarczuk, who is wheelchair bound, with restricted movement and speech, fell in love with the sport whilst watching it for the first time during the London Paralympic Games of 2012.

Great Britain sent a full team of nine players into the games and won two medals, a silver and bronze.

He said: “The cerebral palsy makes it harder to get around because I can’t walk and it also makes it much harder for me to speak. My speech is stilted. But I just get on with it. There’s no point getting worked up about it.

“I’m very lucky to have friends and family who have supported me throughout my life. I work at Pendine Park on a normal PC and I also use a tablet because my condition makes it hard for me to write.

“I was just looking for something to do so I asked if I could help out at Pendine Park. They were so impressed with my work that they put me on the books. This is my first proper job. I like working at Pendine Park a lot because I like the people here.”

Christine Jones, 70, a resident at Bryn Bella care home at Pendine Park care organisation, said: “I enjoy playing Boccia – it’s something different. Matt is so good at setting it up – he definitely knows what he’s doing that’s for sure, and he’s very enthusiastic.”

Nicky Clarke, activities and wellbeing coordinator at Bryn Bella added: “The residents really enjoy it. They look forward to it, and we have a bit of a laugh and a bit of a joke. It’s just something a bit different and it gets their muscles going. It’s getting more and more popular with the residents.

“Matt is very enthusiastic. We look forward to seeing him at work every morning with his nice big smile. It’s brilliant that he’s brought this new game into the home. He’s very proactive and very determined.”

Mr Palamarczuk recently won the Promoting of Fulfilled Lives award, sponsored by Boots Care Services, at the Wales Care Awards.

For more information about Boccia visit www.gb-boccia.org

click here for more details or to contact Pendine Park Care Organisation Ltd