Josie Cichockyj - Wheelchair Supporters

[giveusanaitch]

This may be a bit of a long shot but I'm currently limited for places to go at the minute and I know how useful this forum can be. I'm looking to reach out to any supporters that attended games with my auntie. It's been a long time since I attended a game with her (around 25 years at least!). It'll be a decade since she passed away at the end of this year but I want to get a better understanding of what she was involved in. I do recall attending a couple of Huddersfield Town Supporters' Association meetings (I think! I was about 7 and Kevin Gray turned up to one) with her so maybe some of those members have any memories or information they'd be willing to share with me. I'm toying with the idea of setting up some sort of charity in her name but I don't really have a connection to the community she was involved with. This is me attempting to make my first steps into it and looking at ways that I can support. As I say long shot but any help would be appreciated, Thanks! And if I've broken any rules I apologise, please don't chastise me.

[Mirfield Lass]

Have you tried contacting HTSA? Their email is at the bottom of the page - htafc-heritage.com/contact-htsa

There is also the disabled supporters club - communitydirectory.kirklees.gov.uk/communityDirectory/organisationdetails.aspx?orgid=3593

It’s been a few years since I was on the committee for HTSA and I’m unsure who is part of it nowadays.

[DeepSpace]

HTDSA have Facebook & Twitter services. Dave Heatherill is the main organiser & they have an active group that meet monthly. Let me know if you can’t find them by searching & need links or contacts. Good luck.

[townarentbest]

Wow that's a blast from the past!

I used to go to the "PHAB" club in the late 70s/early 80s as my elder brother is wheelchair bound, and knew her reasonably well at the time. I remember at track meetings on the shale surface at Leeds Rd when I was age maybe 7 or 8 and my brother (and Josie) were 18ish, I would run the 100metres against them (in their chairs) to help their warm up routine ahead of races. I say help, I suspect they were just humouring  the little kid.

She went on to perhaps be the greatest athlete this country has ever had, and yet barely anyone would recognise her name.

Imagine in this more connected age if an individual held every British track record from 100m to 5000m, (plus the World 5000m record), won the London marathon, was national table tennis champion, played tennis in the LTA tour and captained the GB basketball team 🤯



Sorry, don't have any contacts who can help though or who might have gone to football with her.

[themanfromatlantis]

I can’t help, but I hope you get sorted with this.

After what I’ve just posted on another thread, this sort of thing proves that clubs can still be communities…

Good luck with the ask. 🤞

I hope it shows things in a good light for you and your late Aunt.

[giveusanaitch]

Thanks for all the info! I will chase these sources and see where I can get with it.


@townarentthebest due to family disputes I never got a full understanding of what Josie achieved until her funeral. She was just "into sports and quite good at it" I remember sitting and watching TGT on the tv and Josie telling me a story of her beating Tanni a few times which resulted in Tanni taking a serious disliking to her.  Josie seemed to find it very amusing. My ignorance at the time never allowed me to grasp the magnitude of what she was telling me. As you said, very few would recognise the name, mainly down to her humbleness and the lack of awareness around the sports at the time she was involved. I don't know whether I'm ashamed about it or more disappointed with my family that I wasn't educated in the right way but I very rarely went to the games with Josie. The experience was different with her and I didn't enjoy it as much. A big part of that was me being unable to see beyond her disability and I couldn't grasp how she could offer comments on professional sports when she could never do what they do. How wrong I was. 

[Junior & Onuora]

Shamefully, I'd never heard of her - and I'm a Huddersfield lad.

Just had a Google and her achievements are unbelievable. How could I not know of her?! I think Huddersfield has failed in not fully acknowledging her achievements in her lifetime.

[ilsonterrier]

Am I right in thinking that Josie went to Newsome School? If so, she was there when I was, although she was a couple of years older than me.

I remember watching Sports Review of the Year a while back and being shocked and saddened when I saw her on the reel of sports people who had died that year.

I'm sorry but I can't add any more info for you, other than the fact that I remember her being a top disabled athlete in her youth. I wish you luck with your plans.

[Deleted]

Used to see her in Marsh in the 70s,seemed to be out about as all kids were,being in a wheelchair didn't seem to stop her.

[townarentbest]

Aug 30, 2024 12:10:51 GMT 1 ilsonterrier said:

Am I right in thinking that Josie went to Newsome School? If so, she was there when I was, although she was a couple of years older than me.

I remember watching Sports Review of the Year a while back and being shocked and saddened when I saw her on the reel of sports people who had died that year.

I'm sorry but I can't add any more info for you, other than the fact that I remember her being a top disabled athlete in her youth. I wish you luck with your plans.

Yes thats right.

[townarentbest]

Aug 30, 2024 11:42:41 GMT 1 Junior & Onuora said:

Shamefully, I'd never heard of her - and I'm a Huddersfield lad.

Just had a Google and her achievements are unbelievable. How could I not know of her?! I think Huddersfield has failed in not fully acknowledging her achievements in her lifetime.

Nothing to be ashamed of, her sport simply didn't have the coverage - how would you know of her?

You could add Clare Taylor to Huddersfields list of unsung sporting heroes...how many know of her sporting career, going to World Cup's with England in both cricket (winning) AND football?

[kenneth]

Can't help but best of luck with whatever you do decide to pursue - what amazing achievements.

If you decide to do something, maybe the club could do some awareness raising at the Stockport game at home?

[giveusanaitch]

That sounds a very good idea kenneth. I think that may be worth pursuing. Josie never really wanted recognition for her achievements but if that can be used to inspire others (I know there's an exhaustive list of inspiring people) why not use that to help others.

[kindo]

Maybe contact Martin Shaw who runs Huddersfield Hub website. He might do a piece on it and help spread the word.
huddersfieldhub.co.uk/contact-us/

[townarentbest]

Aug 30, 2024 21:39:49 GMT 1 giveusanaitch said:

That sounds a very good idea kenneth. I think that may be worth pursuing. Josie never really wanted recognition for her achievements but if that can be used to inspire others (I know there's an exhaustive list of inspiring people) why not use that to help others.

What would you expect the club to do / be able to do ?? Ie, what's your actual goal here?

They aren't going to be reading out lists of achievements from 25years+ ago in sport unrelated to football I shouldn't think, nor perhaps even giving much support to any kind of fundraiser (for what?) that you've hinted at that doesn't exist yet and doesn't have a tangible purpose.

A young Hudds lad picked up a Taekwandoe silver at the Olympics just gone, in what was one of the most sporting contests I've ever seen, in a sport I have zero interest in but found myself watching such was the level of respect and honest challenge between him and the eventual gold medalist...congratulating each other on good hits and laughing off/apologising for lucky breaks etc, it was supremely heart warming and a shame that someone had to get the silver....he's not been paraded anywhere (except the Lindley Bupa) when surely he's ripe for a halftime chat...so it's difficult to see how an unknown historic hero who is no longer with us can get 10mins of attention when a current sporting role model doesn't get it.

Not wanting to cast a downer, but if you're hoping to DO something (and I applaud that) then perhaps you need to work out what that is first?

[jaydee69]

Hi,

My names Dave and I am chairman of he Disabled supporters club, I have been privileged to have known Josie, she was one of the first to help set up the group in 1998/1999, where we first started our monthly meeting in the Rope Walk by he ground.

Josie was very motivating and inspirational person and had a very competitive attitude as I found out playing wheelchair basketball, albeit on different teams. Whatever sport she took part in she always gave 100%.

Her love and support of Town were tested at times with the results and performances  but Josie was always
at the next game whatever!

Josie passed away far too soon after a long fight against her illness, she never lost her sense of humour and was always smiling, she will always be remember by the DSC.

For my sins I have been chairman for over 25 years now, progressing our club and  supporting the football club.
We have grown over the years and had several venues to accommodate our members.

We have a very good information page on the HTAFC Web site under =supporters = Disabled supporters... with contact details and details of our  meetings, we also have a monthly newsletter, Facebook page and X (Twitter account)

If anyone that reads this, if they know any friends or family that are disabled in any way please pass on our details, we are always looking forward to having new members.

[giveusanaitch]

THIS is what I was looking for in starting this post. Perfect, Dave. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll be in touch.

[jaydee69]

Hi,

Things are difficult next week, i am in hospital for surgery I could be in all week?

Maybe a call would be best 07934458650 or 07443784110.

You might want to give me your email address I can put you on our newsletter list.

Or you might want to attend one of our meetings!