NEWS: 100 days and counting...

There is now less than 100 days to go until the Paralympic Games and, in recent weeks, Britain’s best boccia players have been busy dialling up their Tokyo 2020 preparations.

For David Smith, Britain’s reigning Paralympic champion in the BC1 category, Tokyo 2020 is the opportunity to confirm that he remains a force to be reckoned with. Since claiming gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, Smith cemented his No.1 status in Liverpool at the World Boccia Championships in 2018:

“The season is going fantastically; lockdown has really sharpened my focus. I am most looking forward to putting on a show for the world,” says David. “This pandemic has been tough for so many people. However, if I - and my rivals - can play high intensity, boccia, we have the chance to inspire the next generation to start playing and dream of a brighter future.”

Britain’s boccia squad is likely to feature experienced competitors as well as those who, if selected, will be making their Paralympic debut in Tokyo.

Louis Saunders is a BC4 player and is currently Britain’s youngest player on the World Class Performance Programme:

“It’s amazing how being so isolated in lockdown has given us all an opportunity to improve our technical accuracy. But I’ve missed the team so much. Being back in training has really made me realise how lucky I am to be part of a high performance elite environment. Back together in training, we can push each other on to compete at our best in Tokyo.”

There is tough competition for Paralympic GB spots in the BC3 category. Beth Moulam is among those vying for a place in Tokyo.

The York-based athlete was inspired at the age of six when she watched Great Britain’s Caroline Baird win gold in the 400m at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics:

“Caroline has Cerebral Palsy and was interviewed on TV after winning the 400m. She spoke like me so I knew if she could be an athlete - so could I.”

Beth credits the support of her assistant Christie Hutchings:

“I might be an individual BC3 athlete but I am part of a team with my sports assistant, Christie. We are a unit both on and off court and I could not do what I do without her unstinting support.”

Helen Nicholls is Boccia UK’s Performance Director. She has been really impressed by the resilience of the squad during lockdown:

“The majority of the squad has been shielding or in isolation for 13 months and not been able to train as a team until very recently. But despite this, the players have maintained an incredible, positive attitude. They are driven and determined world-class athletes who will do everything in their power to be in Tokyo, and in fantastic shape to compete.”