A tribute to Jacob Thomas

Jacob Thomas, who died peacefully at the weekend, was a true great of Boccia and will be sorely missed by all of those that knew him. Boccia UK send our deepest condolences to his family, particularly his dad and Assistant Mike, his mum Caroline and sister Polly.

Tributes have come in from around the world to a player who retired back in 2016. Current BC3 World Champion and World Number 1, Grigoris Polychronidis described Jacob as his friend, a gentleman, and one of the greatest boccia players. Jacob of course was World Number One himself in the BC3 category in 2015/2016. Cheol Hyeon Kwon, former South Korea Head Coach; and coach/assistant to the current Paralympic Champion Howon Jeong said that the world had lost one of the greatest BC3 Athletes.

Jacob’s career as a BC3 spanned from 2009 to 2016 and in that time, he made all seven British Championship finals, winning four in a fantastic domestic rivalry, primarily with Scott McCowan and then also with Patrick Wilson. Scott described Jacob as a great of the boccia game and a genuinely nice guy. This sentiment of a young man who was a friend to many and a legendary boccia player is one that has been repeated at home and from around the world.

Jacob also had a huge impact on other classifications. David Smith, the worlds greatest BC1 player was a regular training partner and described him simply as a legend, and the most talented BC3 player he had ever seen. Another legend of the game, Nigel Murray said that Jacob was a fighter and a delightful young man to be in the company of.

Jacob was genuinely loved; and touched so many peoples’ lives on his own life journey. Coach Glynn Tromans worked closely with Jacob from their first meeting in 2009 to his retirement from the sport in 2016. Glynn said “He was an absolute joy to coach because he and Mike were so full of ideas and innovations. He saw things on a boccia court that nobody else did and was so influential in the development of the BC3 game. He made friends wherever he went but his dedication; willingness to work hard; and drive for high attainment made him a ferocious and formidable opponent.”

Jacobs sister Polly completed her degree this year with a dissertation titled: ‘A critical analysis of how past major sporting events have impacted on the perception and awareness towards disability sport’. Jacob’s first Major Event was in 2011; he became a Paralympian in London 2012; he won medals Individually and in the BC3 Pair at European and Global Championships; and he undoubtedly had a positive impact in sport and as a human being. We are all better for knowing him.

All at Boccia UK send our heartfelt condolences to Jacobs family and friends at this sad time.