A spotlight on... Dan Powell and Marko Backovic
A spotlight on... Dan Powell and Marko Backovic
We would normally be approaching our busiest period at Mintridge. As schools finish SATs and sports days get underway, we are normally in schools with our ambassadors doing what we love the most. We’re definitely missing seeing those lightbulb moments in the eyes of young people as one of these inspiring sportspeople says something that strikes a chord.
However, we’re loving hearing from our remote mentees and mentors and how the sessions they are having are still having such a positive impact.
We’re aware of all the mixed feelings about schools opening next week and have a huge amount of admiration for all teaching and school staff who are having to completely re-work school life to ensure the safety of the children going back. Hopefully, we can all start to plan for the future and start organising programmes in school for the next academic year. We can’t wait!
We’re big fans of seeing the positive in all situations and one big positive that we are going to take from this is that so many people have been talking about the importance of looking after our mental health and daily exercise, particularly when all other aspects of normal life have changed. We know the value of sport for mental health and exercise as a vital part of our daily routines. It’s such a positive that these things are being spoken about more widely. Take a look at the New York Times talking about it here.
This week we are focusing on two inspiring sportsmen, both of whom have shown incredible resilience and hard work to get where they are today. They also both love sharing their experiences to the next generations.
Dan Powell
Who?
Dan is a Team GB Visually Impaired Judo Athlete, 2018 AJA British Champion, 5th in 2019 USA World Championships and a London 2012 Paralympian. He is now a GB Para Athlete.
Born visually impaired with cone-rod dystrophy, he found academic lessons to be a challenge due to a reliance on reading from books or the board, but he found that he could excel in his PE lessons. We always say that sport is a great leveller, and this was the case with Dan. He found he could adapt well and was able to compete with his peers on a more level playing field.
From that early start in school, sport was a huge passion for Dan. With his father previously representing Great Britain in Judo at the Paralymipics, it’s easy to see how he got into this sport in particular. After many years of gruelling training, Dan decided to end his Judo career in order to move back home and closer to his friends and family.
Think that would be the end of Dan’s sports career? Think again! Needing another outlet for his competitive spirit, he joined his local running club in Liverpool. He was soon scouted by the Paralympic British Squad. Despite his vision deteriorating even further, he is hitting the speeds that he reached from when he could see and hold titles in the one, two, three and four hundred metre classes.
So, how do they inspire us?
Dan’s passion for sport is tangible and, when he talks to young people about sport, it is clear that it has helped him drastically throughout his life. Being born visually impaired and gradually losing your sight further could arguably be one of the greatest challenges someone could face, but Dan’s infectious, positive, can-do attitude is an inspiration for anyone who encounters it!
He is currently mentoring pupils from Windmill Primary School in Raunds as part of our Bowbridge Homes sponsored programme there. His approach of getting them to challenge themselves is proving to be a valuable lesson for their sporting ambitions and academic ones.
Outside of his work with Mintridge, Dan is a co-founder (with his partner, Libby Clegg – did you see her on Dancing on Ice?) of Ability Training, which provides specific causes on disability awareness for sport and fitness professionals.
As if that weren’t enough, Dan is part of the GRN8 Academy, which aims to inspire future generations through offering mentoring, support and development from elite athletes.
And how do we inspire them?
Having experienced first-hand how sport is a great leveller, Dan sees the value of what we do at the Mintridge Foundation. He was fortunate to have an inspiring sporting role model in his father but he recognises that, for most young people, this isn’t the case.
Dan is passionate about raising awareness of disability within sport and Mintridge, along with his work with Ability Training, helps him raise awareness within young people and sports professionals.
Marko Backovic
Who?
Marko Backovic is a British Serbian professional basketball player, who is currently playing for Sheffield Sharks (winners of the BBL in 2016).
Backovic took up basketball in secondary school, whilst attending Stocksbridge High School. From there he started with Sheffield Junior Sharks. After that, he was very quickly selected by the England and Great Britain’s national basketball team
Whilst in secondary school Marko was representing the age bracket above his own age, for both England and Great Britain. Marko was also scouted by several American high schools and received a number of offers to study in the US.
So, how do they inspire us?
Marko has success in his sporting career from a young age, but this does not mean that his journey has always been an easy one. When talking to pupils, he shares the sacrifices that he has had to make in order to become an elite athlete. He doesn’t sugar-coat the fact that success is typically the result of lots of hard work and resilience when times are tough.
Marko is a natural mentor and is able to relate with and inspire those who are fortunate enough to be mentored by him.
And how do we inspire them?
Marko loves using his experiences to inspire and motivate younger generations. He is a natural coach and enjoys teaching children basketball skills as well as valuable lessons from his experiences.