Chris Swallow (L) with power lifter Muhammed Saeed.
— Chris Swallow is a Sports Therapist running mobile sports injury clinic CSSMART. He volunteered to help with treating the Egyptian Paralympians during their stay in Lincoln last week. For three days, he worked with athletes in seated volleyball, table tennis and power lifting. Here is his account of working alongside the team.
Over the past few months the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership has been drawing attention toward the Paralympics. A big reason for this is that Lincolnshire has been successful in their bid to host a pre-games training camp for the Egyptian Paralympic team. After hearing about the opportunity for volunteers to aid with their stay over the past week, I applied without hesitation and was extremely lucky to be selected as an assistant physiotherapist.
I had been given shifts based at the University of Lincoln campus in the Sports Centre on both Monday and Wednesday, where both the Table Tennis and Sitting Volleyball teams were training. They decided they wanted to train twice a day, so I was working mornings between 9:45 and 12:30 and evenings between 5:45 and 8:00.
I arrived at the team’s hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, on the Monday morning and immediately met Steve Booth, one of the interpreters. After previously hearing that not many of the Egyptian team could speak English I was delighted to have someone whose knowledge of Arabic was so vast. He told me a little about Egypt and how their economy isn’t as strong as it is here — that you could eat out for meals and live well for about £5 a day. I was also quite shocked that disabled people are treated very separately in Egypt and that in numerous cases they could be outcast from society. I didn’t know what to expect but hearing this was a shock to the system.
Table tennis athletes arrived first at the Sports Centre on Monday and I was in awe when watching them play, they weren’t just good. These people having a variety of disabilities were taking life by the scruff of the neck and excelling through sport, to such a high standard that at some points I thought they were playing with multiple balls, so fast were the speed of their shots.
The sitting volleyball team arrived and I assisted them upstairs to the gym where they completed circuit training – I must say I was quite astounded by the upper body and core strength these guys had. The players practised specific skill drills and shots which looked seriously hard work. The Wednesday was much the same with the sitting volleyball team taking the morning off but having an evening circuit.
I also got more of a chance to speak to Tom Turton, the lead physiotherapist who has previous Paralympic experience from Athens in 2004, he has also held constant communication with their physiotherapist over in Egypt. He informed me that there is no culture for stretching over in Egypt, and that through religion only women medical professionals are allowed to treat women athletes.
I was challenged by one of the table tennis players to a game, although after watching him over the previous shifts I decided my chances of scoring a point, let alone winning were very limited, so I politely declined. I did though; take up the offer to have a one to one training session with one of the sitting volleyball team players. He showed me the variety of shots including set, spike and pass and we had a little rally going, he also showed me his football skills though he said he wasn’t so good with his right leg as it was prosthetic! After holding a good ten minute conversation, I discovered that the sitting volleyball players train at a Police Headquarters, as the forces have better facilities than most of the sports clubs and that they loved it over in Lincolnshire as it is “beautiful.”
The following day I was working in Louth at St Bernard’s School with the power lifters, which was a totally different experience. The men and women trained separately, but all were also more at home with hands on treatment. They were obviously used to taking a lot more care over their bodies as they are under a greater amount of stress.
I also noticed that they were very keen on having kinesiology tape applied especially around the shoulder to provide a large amount of support as well as needing some soft tissue work towards their backs. I treated four Gold medallists from Beijing including Mohammed Saeed, Metwaly Mathana and Fatma Omar, who I had previously seen lift in Beijing and was astounded at their friendliness and their willingness to communicate in both Egyptian and English even though they were limited in their vocabulary.
All the athletes I worked with were a credit to both Egypt and the Paralympic Association. They made a once in a lifetime experience very special by promoting the four Paralympic values of Equality, Courage, Determination and Inspiration. I would also like to thank the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership for their superb organisation of the week, without them, it would have been an impossible task and the week ran very smoothly. Lastly to all the volunteers, not only those I met and spoke to, but everyone who gave up their time to make this experience so special for all. From my communication with the Egyptians, they were hugely appreciative of all that was done for them.
The whole experience has completely changed my perception of disabled people, and has shown me that volunteering in all cases can be exceedingly rewarding. All it costs is your time, and the experiences given back by the people make this more than worthwhile. I have wished all the athletes the best of luck whilst in London and I will be watching eagerly throughout the games, not only cheering on Great Britain but Egypt too.
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Elizabeth was the Associate Editor of The Lincolnite until December 2014.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
As well as the testing kits themselves, you will also receive instructions on how to take the test and how to report each result to the NHS.
A series of short videos explaining how the kits work have been put together by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The rapid tests should provide results within 30 minutes, and are for people without symptoms of COVID-19.
Anyone who has symptoms of the virus is still being asked to self-isolate and book a regular PCR test.
The home testing kits have been made available as part of an extension of the government’s coronavirus testing programme.
Since rapid testing was introduced, over 120,000 positive cases have been identified that would not have been found otherwise.
It comes as businesses and non-essential retail prepare to reopen on April 12 in line with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown.
The PM said: “Massive efforts have been made by the British public to stop the spread of the virus.
“As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted.
“That’s why we’re now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England – helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy.”
A group of food-loving Grimsby men have started a unique business in the town, offering rainbow-coloured bagel burgers with locally sourced ingredients — and The Lincolnite went to check it out.
The Bad Boy Bagel Company began just six weeks ago in late February, and is the brainchild of directors Max Barnet and brothers Max and Charlie Leonard.
Their rainbow coloured bagels have been a huge hit with the people of Northern Lincolnshire, and chef Max Leonard said it’s all about standing out.
Max Leonard is a chef at Bad Boy Bagel Co, a brand new food delivery company in Grimsby. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
He told The Lincolnite: “Everything in modern day life is about pictures, we used the colourful buns as a way to stand out from the crowd.
“We have other unique selling points too: we are the only local place that uses wagyu beef, and all of our produce is locally sourced.”
The impressive Bad Boy Hash Bagel. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Of course we had to try it out, so we trialled the bestseller, the Bad Boy Hash Bagel, as well as some loaded dirty fries.
Taste wise it was genuinely sensational, the 4oz wagyu beef patty was tender, and was complimented brilliantly with the hash browns, bacon and crispy onions.
The hash browns really are a key part of this brilliant bagel. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Naturally you expect the bun to taste peculiar, but it tastes just as good as a regular bun, so add onto that the bright colours and it’s a win-win.
The loaded fries came in an large portion, served with pulled pork, mozzarella, smoked cheddar, crispy onions and a top secret Bad Boy sauce.
Enough to make your tummy rumble, the loaded fries are a sight to behold. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The bagels vary from £8-13 in price, while the loaded fries are either £4.95 or £5.95 depending on toppings.
As well as this, we tried out the intriguing Cake Shakes, which consist of a slice of homemade cake blended with local ice cream and milk.
A meal fit for a king. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
They set you back anywhere between £4 and £6, but if you have a sweet tooth they are an absolute must.
Max has had a lifelong passion for food, and developed his skills from a young age when he would watch his mother make roast dinners.
Demand for sales have been beyond the Bad Boy Bagels’ wildest expectations since opening.
Troy is one of the staff at Bad Boy Bagel Co, and he was described as “the king of Cake Shakes!” | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“In the first weekend we ordered an adequate amount of stock and it sold out straight away. Then the next weekend we doubled our orders and sold out again.
“I’m a vegetarian but I know that our meat tastes great, the feedback we have received so far has been overwhelming.”
They are so good that even Wind the community Imp was eyeing them up! | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The lads from Grimsby have also been running ZBR Performance over the last year, a meal prep business for fitness and nutrition.
Max Leonard does not work for ZBR, but said: “I come in and cook the things that people really want to eat!”
They are available for collection or delivery, and you can browse the menu for yourself here, or visit the Bad Boy Bagel Co Facebook page for more.
The menu is centred around Gyros including chicken, pork and grilled halloumi, which are all served with Tzatziki sauce, onion, tomato and chips. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A luxury four-bedroom barn conversion in a Lincolnshire village is on the market for £1 million and even has its own self-contained annexe and bar.
Bramble Barn is located at East End in Langtoft and also includes four bathrooms, three large reception rooms, sitting room with wood-burning stove, open-plan dining kitchen and entertaining area.
The self-contained one-bedroom annexe and home office with bar is one of the standout property’s features. Let’s take a look inside.
The contemporary kitchen. | Photo: Pelham James
Open-plan dining kitchen. | Photo: Pelham James
The sitting room. | Photo: Pelham James
Family room. | Photo: Pelham James
Guests, friends and family can relax in front of the wood-burning stove and the open plan living area extends into a contemporary fitted kitchen.
The fully fitted bar is described as having an authentic pub-vibe. A door from the bar leads onto a decked and enclosed garden for enjoying a drink or two in the sun.
The private fully fitted bar. | Photo: Pelham James
The principal bedroom. | Photo: Pelham James
The principal suite. | Photo: Pelham James
One of the four bedrooms at Bramble Barn. | Photo: Pelham James
Upstairs is the mezzanine level, a home office, studio or cinema room.
The south-west facing terrace and gardens provides a great space for hosting summer parties and barbecues.
The garden. | Photo: Pelham James
The Annexe Kitchen. | Photo: Pelham James
The Annexe private garden. | Photo: Pelham James
Bramble Barn in Langtoft. | Photo: Pelham James
The property is being marketed by Pelham James – see the full listing here.
There have been 308 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and nine COVID-related deaths so far this week – a 46% drop in cases and 25% reduction in deaths from the previous week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded nine new cases in North Lincolnshire but -69 cases in Lincolnshire and -4 in North East Lincolnshire. This is due to the dashboard changing the way it reports cases.
On April 9, four deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, two in North East Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
The way cases are reported has changed.
NHS England reported no hospitals this week so far, down from four recorded this time last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 3,150 to 4,365,461, while deaths rose by 60 to 127,040.
In local news, COVID-19 mutations of concern have been detected by health officials in Lincolnshire, but they said they’ve been contained, and there is “no longer transmission, no issues.”
The Brazil and South Africa variants have worried scientists because they are thought to be much more contagious than the original strain, and can therefore spread faster in the population, and potentially be vaccine-resistant.
Health bosses have also said there have been no hospitalisations or deaths from a care home coronavirus outbreak in West Lindsey at the end of March.
Everyone in Lincolnshire can now get two free rapid asymptomatic coronavirus tests a week, and this is how you can access them.
Great Lincolnshire has seen a fall in all of its districts’ infection rates since Wednesday, however South Holland and North Lincolnshire are still in the UK’s top 20 highest rates.
The England average infection rate has fallen too but is still below Greater Lincolnshire’s average by around 20 per 100,000 of the population.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 9:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 2 to Apr 9. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
Nationally, Europe’s drugs regulator is reviewing possible links between blood clots and Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine.
The move comes after four serious cases of rare clots with low platelets were reported after the COVID-19 jab, one of which was fatal, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
People in England can start thinking about booking foreign holidays again this summer, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said.
But he said the £100 cost of the COVID tests required needed to be driven down, amid criticism from the travel industry.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, April 9
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,544 cases (up nine)
40,813 in Lincolnshire (down 69)
9,176 in North Lincolnshire (up nine)
8,555 in North East Lincolnshire (down four)
2,180 deaths (up seven)
1,608 from Lincolnshire (up four)
304 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)
of which 1,300 hospital deaths (no change)
808 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,365,461 UK cases, 127,040 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.