Q&A with Claire Taggart

Claire Taggart is a BC2 athlete and will be heading to the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympics this summer. Competing in Rio, she made history by becoming the first person from Northern Ireland to compete at the Paralympics in the sport of boccia.

She currently occupies the no.10 spot in the world rankings and won a silver medal at the European Championships Seville 2019

We caught up with her to talk tortoises, bearded dragons, lockdown and, of course, Tokyo…

How did you first start playing boccia?

I was playing wheelchair rugby for some time but, due to the nature of my progressive condition, I could no longer push myself for any length of time. I started playing boccia at a local community hall, just as a hobby and way to meet more people. I went along to a open day for Disability Sport Northern Ireland boccia, and was spotted by one of the coaches.

What do people need to excel in the sport?

You need an ability to think outside the box, see past the obvious options and choices. A forward-thinking mind is important because you need one eye on the shot you are playing and the other on the next shot possible.

Technical ability and drive to improve is also a must. Boccia is made up of many shots and being able to execute them is vital to improving your skills.

Patience is crucial as improvement can be slow and inconsistent. But stick with it and learn to cope with frustrations and setbacks.

How did you cope with training at home during lockdown?

Training during a pandemic was interesting! I spent four months training in my hallway before I was able to get back to my local venue of which I had sole use. Highlights of training at home included virtual coaching sessions and my dog, Rio, trying to steal the balls or standing in the way!

Why do you love boccia?

Boccia is unique in that no two shots will ever be the 100% the same, so it is very mentally stimulating and engaging.

The tactical challenge and rudimentary drills are then carried across to match-play. Boccia is such an empowering sport, and the boccia community is so welcoming and supportive.

Claire Taggart in action at St George’s Park training camp. Credit: GettyImages.

Let’s talk Tokyo! What are you most looking forward to?

Competing. The highlight of our sport is when the long winter technical season can be converted into medal winning matches. To have our first competition as the Paralympic Games presents a good challenge in that everyone is going into it as an equal, no one has competed in 18 months.

What’s your favourite Paralympic memory?

At Rio 2016, we swapped pin badges with athletes from other nations, something I’d heard of but never experienced. It actually became pretty competitive in boccia. I swapped one with one of only two athletes there from North Korea. Obviously pin swapping is not going to happen this time due to COVID rules etc but I hope that we are still able to connect with athletes from other countries in some way like we did in Rio.

So, come on, tell us Claire about your collection of pets…

I have a dog as I mentioned. I start every day walking him around our local park and have met many new friends (human and dog!) whilst doing so.

I also have six tortoises and two bearded dragons!

Outside of boccia, what do you enjoy doing?

I run my own small business, Nifty Notebooks NI, formed due to my love of stationery!

And I love indie music - my favourite bands currently would have to be The 1975, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro and recent discovery, Wallows. Although, my guilty pleasure playlist features STEPS, Boney M, George Formby and Spice Girls!