Cheshire Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club
915. Anna Jackson
Anna Jackson, from Upton, is Chair and head coach of the ‘Cheshire Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club,’ as well as head coach for ‘Angels of the North’ and the assistant coach for the ‘Wales U19’ wheelchair basketball teams.
Anna had a ten year international career in the ‘GB Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team’ where she won a bronze medal at the ‘Paralympic World Cup’ in 2008 before retiring to dedicate herself to changing people’s lives by promoting disabled sports. The focus of her coaching is inclusivity, supporting sports people with various disabilities and aged from 5 to 60 years old.
In 2017 Anna won the ‘UK Disability Coach of the Year,’ and many of her players have gone on to gain regional and international honours. Anna is particularly committed to inspiring a new generation of Wheelchair Basketball coaches, as according to ‘UK Coaching,’ only 6% of UK sports coaches are disabled.
In a personal letter to Anna, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Your dedication to coaching the ‘Cheshire Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club’ is not only nurturing outstanding athletes but also inspiring the next generation of wheelchair basketball coaches. You should be incredibly proud of the impact your guidance and support has on aspiring sports men and women.”
Anna said:
“I am really honoured to win the Points of Light award and to be recognised by the Prime Minister for all the volunteering I do. I love being involved in Wheelchair Basketball and it has changed my life since I got involved in 1997. I love making a difference to the players, coaches and volunteers I work with and am looking forward to getting even more people involved in the sport in 2018.”
Chris Matheson, MP for Chester, who will hold an award presentation with Anna, also said:
“We are at our best when we are giving our time to help others, not for recognition, but because it makes our area a better place to live. It is always with a sense of awe that I present awards such as this to those like Anna who have gone above and beyond – because they represent not only the best of themselves but also the best of our city.”