Nicola prepares for first World Cup

 Just three years after discovering boccia, Nicola Taylor is preparing for the biggest challenge of her career.

The Ipswich athlete will make her first World Cup appearance this week following a remarkable 2026 season that has seen her compete at her first two international tournaments – and win gold at both!

Coached by Paralympian Evie Edwards-Hill and Talent Transition Coach Michaela Rihackova, she is now set to test her skills at the Sao Paolo World Cup in Brazil from 4 November.

nicola taylor impresses at olbia boccia challenger

After first discovering the sport in 2023, Taylor was selected for the Talent Transition Squad in early 2026. Since then, her development has gone from strength to strength, culminating in a gold medal on her international debut at the Poznan Challenger before she followed it up with another impressive victory at the Olbia Challenger.

She says:

“I’m really excited for my first World Cup. It’s such an amazing opportunity as several highly-ranked BC1 female players will be competing - including the three highest ranked European players - and I can’t wait for (hopefully) some really exciting matches. 

“I’m looking forward to watching some really high-quality boccia too, meeting more boccia players and catching up with players I’ve met at previous internationals.”

Taylor was not the only British athlete to impress in Italy. The Olbia Challenger provided another opportunity for members of Boccia UK's Talent Transition Squad and World Class Programme to test themselves internationally.

Tyler McLelland continued his strong form after securing silver, denied the top podium position by  formidable opponent, Edilson Chica Chica of Columbia while Alex Medley reached the play-offs. Fiona Muirhead and Penny Froude were unable to escape their pools in the BC4 category while Rachel Bailey – making her Great Britain debut – notched up her first international victory over Spain’s Desiree Segarra.

tyler stormed to silver in olbia

Head of Performance Pathway Liz Fisher says:

“This was our first time at a competition where we had the full Talent Transition Squad together. Olbia provided a valuable opportunity to build on experiences gained through Poznan, Pilsen and domestic competitions, allowing athletes to test themselves in a competitive setting, develop confidence and identify areas for further progression.

“It’s fantastic to see the trust established between athletes and our Talent Transition Squad coach Michaela – this is supporting decision-making, confidence and individualised objectives.”

The UK Championships now await at the end of November, but Taylor's immediate focus is her first World Cup, where she will face the highest standard of competition of her career.

Having only discovered the sport in 2023, the opportunity represents another significant milestone in a journey that has already seen her progress from newcomer to double international gold medallist.