CVA Student Scores Gold in European Wheelchair Basketball Championship
Arlene Gajdus
/ Categories: General
Castle View Academy is celebrating after one of ourvery own students won a Gold medal at the European Wheelchair Basketball Championships in France.
Maddie Martin, a Year 10 student, competed for Team GB’s U24 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team at the recent European Championships. She played an integral role in helping the team win five consecutive games and ultimately be crowned champions.
Born with the neurological condition Spina Bifida, Maddie made the decision to take up Wheelchair Basketball three years ago, having been inspired by the 2012 London Paralympics. Since joining the sport, Maddie has shown amazing progress and has experienced incredible success. For the past three years she has been selected to represent the South East U15 team at the National Regional finals. In her first year of playing at this event, she was the youngest player and since then continues to be the youngest player and now the only female player in the team. Maddie and her team won their first gold last year and then managed to retain gold at this year’s event.
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Maddie is supported by a strong network of family and friends and works closely with her teachers here at Castle View Academy to ensure that she can reach her full potential both inside and outside of the classroom. Her hard work, talent and commitment have recently been recognized by Team GB, who inducted her into the GB ‘Futures’ Development Programme – the youngest player to ever join the scheme.
Maddie is currently training hard to secure selection for the 2019 World Championships which would see her fly to Thailand as part of Team GB’s U25 squad. She also has her eye on the 2024 Paralympics, but given her recent performances, is a serious contender for selection for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Christian Down, Principal of Castle View Academy, said:
“We are all incredibly proud of Maddie and are in awe of her success. Supported by our wonderful staff, Maddie is able to balance academic learning with her extensive sporting commitments, and does both with a smile on her face.
Maddie is a perfect example of how we seek to give our students an Education with Character by encouraging them to embark on new and exciting opportunities and supporting them wherever we can. At the young age of 14 Maddie has already made her mark in the sporting world and we have no doubt that she will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Maddie said:
“I don’t see myself as having a disability; being in a wheelchair is simply an extra resource to use to succeed and achieve my goals. I work incredibly hard to balance school and sport, but I have a really supportive team around me and with them, anything is possible. There have been many times that I’ve wanted to quit, but then I think of that eight year old little girl who watched a wheelchair basketball game in 2012 and I remember that I owe her a chance.”