(Back Row right to left): Vicky Perez, Tracy Harper, Christine Hough, Joanne Ellerton.(Centre):Iain Chalmers: (Front): Jane Whetnall, David Bell, Beverly Bamford, Hannah Prince

The games which were held from 21st to the 25th of June 1994 took part at the Navy Base RNAS Culross and much of the organising and planning was carried out by the officers and staff at the base who with typical military precision ensured that the whole competition ran like clockwork.

Coaches Iain Chalmers, Jane Whetnall and Bev Bamford were very pleased by the performance of the Academy gymnasts.

The youngest competitor at the games was 5 years old wheelchair user Hannah Prince. She is the first ever wheelchair user to compete at artistic gymnastics at a national championships and competed on Floor and Vault.

The officers and staff of the base were so smitten with Hannah the asked if she could become their mascot, something which the Academy readily agreed. During the week everyone was amused by the antics of the royal navy staff and officers, all big strapping 6 footers, arguing as to who's turn it was to push Hannah in her wheelchair. At the conclusion of the competition Hannah was presented with a special medal from the commander of the base for being "such a tremendously good ambassador to the sport."

Congleton Borough Mayor Andrew Mather presenting three times gold medalist Christine Hough with commemorative tricket box in recognmition of her achievements

The only male in the team was 10 year old David Bell who has autism. As coach Jane Whetnall explained

During the games gymnast Joanna Ellerton won gold, silver and bronze medals however the highlight of the week was the fact that she celebrated her 11th birthday on the last day of the games. The head of Special Olympics, Mr Brian Shaw found time to announce this at the closing ceremony and lead the 2000 spectators into a rousing chorus of 'Happy birthday you.' I do not think anyone will ever forget Joannas beaming smile as she was held aloft in front of the crowd on the main platform.

For 20 year old Debbie Jackson this was her first ever national competition and Like David Bell she also had great difficulty in remembering the complex sequence of skills which makes up the floor exercise. Up until the competition the only was Debbie was able to fully complete the routine was by mirroring a coach who would perform the routine beside her however just before she was due to walk onto the competition floor she announced that under no circumstances would she let a coach go on the floor beside her because "no-one else has done that". Although the coaches were worried that she might 'freeze' during the routine, debbie confounded all her coaches by performing a nearly faultless routine.

Vicky excelled herself by performing a whole range of routines never before performed at Special Olympic competition. These included a Handspring Vault, a 'squat on' the lower bar of the uneven bars. , a forward roll on the beam and a handspring dismount on the beam. When the scores were read out it became apparent that she had scored some of the highest scores ever obtained at a national games with a 9.6 points for her compulsory vault being her crowning achievement.

The coaches and judges applauded her on her ground breaking performance and a special tribute was paid to Vicky at the medal ceremony.

Coach Iain Chalmers summed up the general feeling of many people at the games that these games have established the Cheshire Academy as a major force in the field of disability gymnastics in the UK and in years to come will go a long way to push forward the boundaries of special needs gymnastics in the UK"

By taking the youngest, the oldest, the most gymnastically advanced and the most profoundly disabled to these games we are able to demonstrate the reality of our "sport for all" philosophy at the Cheshire Academy.