'Boccia gave me the opportunity to travel the world', Paralympian David Smith tells physio students

Physiotherapy students at the University of Winchester joined their occupational therapy peers at a sports masterclass delivered by Great Britain Paralympian David Smith.

David, 32, who amassed gold medals in boccia at three Paralympic Games – a team gold at Beijing and individual golds at Rio and Tokyo – visited the campus in Hampshire last week (25 July).

For the uninitiated, boccia is similar to bowls but competitors use soft leather balls instead and the sport is a mainstay in the Paralympics. David hopes to gain a fourth gold in Paris next year.

The students were able to learn first-hand from David’s experiences and reflect on the importance of inclusion and participation in sport and leisure activities. They also had great fun battling it out on the boccia court [Tai Frater]

Sporting chance

David was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of one and grew up in the nearby town of Eastleigh. He first became the youngest ever British Boccia Champion aged 14 and told the students: ‘Boccia has given me the opportunity to travel the world.’

David now lives in Swansea, where he is building a ‘boccia community’. He studied aerospace engineering at the city’s university and hopes to see boccia played in every primary school, secondary school, college and university in the UK.

‘Boccia is a worldwide sport and is not just a game for disabled people – it’s a game everyone can play on equal terms.’

After listening to David’s inspiring presentation, the students tried their hand at boccia themselves under his guidance.

Tai Frater, senior lecturer practice education and digital health, said: ‘The students were able to learn first-hand from David’s experiences and reflect on the importance of inclusion and participation in sport and leisure activities. They also had great fun battling it out on the boccia court and seeing for themselves what a great game this is.’