Disability Sport Wales
Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru

Pop Music student at Coleg Glan Hafren wins six gold medals and joins World Class Performance Programme

An 18 year old student from Newport, who has just started studying the Foundation Degree in Popular Music Technology at Coleg Glan Hafren and UniGlam, was a six-time gold medallist at sporting championships around the World over the Summer and has just been selected to join the UKA (UK Athletics) World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) – a scheme designed for athletes who wish to compete at World-class level in competitions such as the Paralympic Games. James Ball, who has the visual impairments Achromatopsia and Nystagmus, won the six gold medals for the 100m and 200m sprints in the Visually Impaired and Blind classifications of several championships in Holland, Dublin and Nottingham.

The Foundation Degree in Popular Music Technology is a new full-time course run by Coleg Glan Hafren and UniGlam. The 12 students on the course spend their study time at the College and University learning Sound Recording and Production, Arranging Techniques, Music Theory, Ensemble and Instrumental Studies and Music Industry Practice.

James Ball, 18, from Ponthir in Newport, started on the two-year Popular Music course in late September 2009 but has already had a busy Summer. Since birth James has had Achromatopsia (vision problems in high light levels) and a Nystagmus in one eye (involuntary movement of the eye and reduced vision).

James began swimming for Wales from the age of 12 but was persuaded to start athletics at the age of 14, by Disability Sport Wales Academy Coach Jane Coia.

James has been competing since his early teens and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Beijing Olympics as he didn’t make the 100m qualifying time of 11.96 seconds. James, who trains every day in the gym or the racing track at UWIC, where Disability Sport Wales Academy are based, now says he can run the 100m in 11.84 seconds.

James collected six gold medals in the senior races, in the Visually Impaired and Blind classifications, between July and September this year in:
• 100m and 200m at the Dutch Open in Netherlands
• 100m and 200m at the Irish International in Dublin
• 100m and 200m at the CP Sport Grand Prix in Nottingham

This July James was one of four athletes from South Wales to fly out to Colorado Springs in the United States. James and the other athletes, from Swansea and Cardiff, competed in the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) Youth & Student World Championships in Colorado, in the Visually Impaired and Blind Classifications.

At the July Youth and Student World Championships in Colorado games James won a Silver Medal in the Javelin competition, after not being able to compete fully in 100m and 200m, due to a sprained ankle.
Due to his successes and growing reputation, UKA announced on the 27th October that James is one of only 65 athletes from around the UK to be invited to join the World Class Performance Programme, at Development level, where he will receive support from UKA to target a podium finish at World Championships and Paralympics.
James said, “I started training in athletics as well as swimming, but the constant training was too much, so I decided to concentrate on athletics. As well as the athletics I’ve also played the drums since I was 13 and this is what made me decide to study the Pop Music Foundation Degree at UniGlam and Coleg Glan Hafren. I wanted to know more about the industry – the digital side of recording and production as well as the performing side – so this is the perfect course for me.”

James’ condition means he has to wear dark contact lenses to offset high light levels and it can be hard for him to read materials such as bus timetables. James said, “College helps me a lot in terms of the teaching and the extra support they give. They are always enlarging materials for me, to make it easier to read them.”

There is a 50-strong Learning Support at Coleg Glan Hafren to support anyone with disabilities and/or learning difficulties. Liz Thomas, Coleg Glan Hafren’s Learning Support Co-Ordinator said, “We support James in all his classes, both here in Trowbridge and in UniGlam’s Atrium, two evenings a week. The support worker is there to provide James with sensory support for his reduced vision and to ensure James has the materials he needs in an accessible format. We are proud of the level of support we deliver to our students and are also equally proud of their achievements in and outside college.”

Heavy rock bands like Trivium and Shadows Fall are James main musical influences and eventually he hopes to teach drums or work in a recording studio.

Zoe Atkins, a 17 year old student on the National Diploma in Sport (Development and Fitness) course has also been selected for the Wales Women’s Under 19 Football Squad, to compete in the UEFA Women’s Under 19 Football Championship in Denmark this Autumn.

For information on the college’s Creative courses, call the Advice Shop on 02920 250400 or visit www.glan-hafren.ac.uk
ENDS

For further information on Coleg Glan Hafren contact:
Chris Seal
Marketing Manager, Coleg Glan Hafren
Tel: 02920 250438. Email seal_c@glan-hafren.ac.uk

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