Prepared for Paris
The 11 athletes that will represent ParalympicsGB in Paris this summer give their thoughts on the forthcoming Paralympic Games.
Will Bayley, 36, Tunbridge Wells/Brighton
Events – men’s class 7 singles, men’s class 14 doubles (with Martin Perry)
“I’m training and working hard and I feel calm and quite relaxed at the moment. I’m not really thinking too far ahead – just trying to take it a day at a time and get through the next block of hard training.
“Before Tokyo I hadn’t won a major title since Rio and as soon as I finished Tokyo, I said that I’ve got to try and be dominant in the next few years because it gives you that belief that you can go on and win things. I wanted to win the Worlds and the Europeans just to set myself up to come back again and be as good as I want to be, and I’ve done that job.
“I’ve done really well over the last few years to win majors again and I think that makes a big difference because that belief comes back and that is priceless when you go to a major because it makes you feel relaxed and that you know how to win. Nothing is guaranteed obviously and it’s going to be very, very hard but I’ve definitely got the belief that I can win again.
“It’s going to mean a lot to have everyone there who is important to me. My family have had to put up with a lot in the last few years in terms of my training. I always get to put myself first and I’m away a lot and I guess it is their time to celebrate with me as well, not just winning but watching me play and compete, so that makes it special.
“It’s pretty overwhelming when you think that Brighton Table Tennis Club is bringing 70 people and to have them there for every match is going to be amazing. I think it just shows the passion they’ve got for the players in the team. They support their players and want them to do well, and it makes a big difference just to know you’ve got people who love you and want you to win and to have that many people out there I just hope we do them proud. It will definitely add to the atmosphere because they are a loud bunch so I’m sure it will feel like a bit of a home Games for us which is exciting.”
Rob Davies, 39, Brecon
Events – men’s class 1 singles, men’s class 4 doubles (with Tom Matthews)
“Obviously I was gutted about not going to Tokyo but that’s forgotten about now and I’m just really happy to be going to Paris and feel lucky that I’m able to compete in another Paralympics. I’m just looking forward to seeing what I can do there. It’s been a long road so it is really exciting to have a new challenge and I’m going to try and take it on.
“A lot has happened since I won gold in Rio. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and other times it feels a long time ago but overall, I guess I’ve got to try and use the experience from Rio but knowing it is a different time and place.
“I feel I’m going in the right direction and I just want to make the most of it and enjoy it every time I’m on the table. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself so we’ll see what happens.
“I do like the big occasions, and I like to think that I can up my game for it. I do like the atmosphere of the big tournaments and the build up to them so I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing what I can do.
“The Sport Wales Centre in Sofia Gardens has been amazing for us and they are all behind us 100%. It will be good to have them all behind us cheering us on as well as the public and friends and family. We are proud Welshmen and we want to do Wales proud as well as GB.”
Paul Karabardak, 38, Swansea
Events – men’s class 6 singles, men’s class 14 doubles (with Billy Shilton)
“I’m really pleased to be going to my fifth Games. The level evolves year after year and it is really difficult to qualify for a Paralympic Games. I think this has been the most difficult, so it shows how I’ve kept my level up in that top bracket of players for a long time and it makes me really proud to have achieved that. To play at a Paralympic Games is what every Para athlete plays for so I’m really excited and looking forward to it. I’m looking to train as hard as I can and try and deliver my best performance in Paris.
“Having won my first Paralympic medals in Tokyo takes a bit of the pressure off because I achieved a lifelong dream that I had waited a long time for, and I’ve got those medals now and of course it has made my hungry for more. It is not so much pressure now – it is more about trying to relax and enjoy myself and add to the success I’ve already had which I know I can achieve.
“I’m really looking forward to the doubles. Billy and I have a great relationship and we play well together and I think we’ve got a great chance to come away with the Paralympic title. There are a lot of good teams, and it will be difficult but we are as good as any of those teams on our day and we can definitely aim to try and do that.”
Tom Matthews, 31, Aberdare
Events – men’s class 1 singles, men’s class 4 doubles (with Rob Davies), mixed class 7 doubles (with Megan Shackleton)
“To say I’m over the moon to receive a wild card to compete in Paris is an understatement. I thought I was going to Blackpool Tower not the Eiffel Tower but now I’m on the bus and going to Paris and working hard in training towards that and really looking forward to it.
“I think having the experience of my first games in Tokyo and doing really well will help massively. I seem to thrive in major tournaments anyway so that has always given me confidence going into majors. This time we’ve got a crowd whereas Tokyo was in Covid-times so there were no spectators so it will be a bit different, but I feel I can manage that from my mountain biking days having people on the side of the track cheering your name. It’s just about staying focused on the table and not getting lost in the moment I guess.
“Reaching the final in Slovenia this year also gave me massive confidence going forward - beating the World number one and the World number three who I hadn’t beaten in a while, and I can go to Paris knowing I’ve beaten every player in the last six to 12 months.
“The guys back at Sport Wales are doing an amazing job for all the athletes from Wales. The S&C coaches down to the physios - everyone has done an incredible job and the support they’ve given me has been amazing. I want to give them credit so let’s go and do it in Paris.”
Aaron McKibbin, 32, London (Wandsworth)/Epsom
Events – men’s class 8 singles, men’s class 18 doubles (with Joshua Stacey)
“Obviously I’m very excited - I think more so because I’ve had a good year and it’s probably the first Games I’m going into where I genuinely believe if things go the way they have been I’ve got an opportunity to medal in the singles if not win it. At the same time, I’m trying to keep relaxed because I am the sort of person who never really flies – I don’t get too high or too low and I think that is important to me and I know I perform my best when I’m most relaxed.
“A singles medal would mean everything - it was my dream from the beginning. Obviously winning a team medal is fantastic and I’ve got incredible memories of doing that – mostly in Rio being the person who had to win it for the team. I’ve not won a (Paralympic) singles medal yet but I think it would be difficult to top that feeling of winning a medal not just for yourself but for two other people as well. I think if I’m being honest the one thing I want to do is get a different colour medal – as much as a I know three bronze medals is fantastic, I want to get a silver or gold in either doubles or singles but if you told me I could walk away with a bronze medal in the singles I’d bite your hand off.
“I always thought Josh and I would be good at doubles although I think a lot of people thought that maybe with my limitations in movement it would be harder for me in the higher class. I don’t pretend I’m the best doubles player in the world, but I think what I can bring to the table is I’m happy to do the things that are going to make Josh play well. He is obviously the best player in our team so if you’re going to win the match against the best teams you’ve got to find a way to make Josh play his best and I’m happy to do the things that don’t look pretty but will set Josh up.
“Doubles is teamwork – you can have two of the best players in the world but if they don’t work together, they’re probably not going to be successful. I feel I’ve got a good understanding of when to be quiet, when to try and relax Josh or maybe be harder on myself and I think that is important. I knew deep down that we could be very good, and I don’t see why we can’t win a medal in doubles playing the way we’ve been playing.”
Martin Perry, 29, Paisley/Dumbarton
Events – men’s class 6 singles, men’s class 14 doubles (with Will Bayley)
“It’s been almost half my life that I’ve been doing this and to finally get over that hurdle and be going to a Paralympic Games is incredible. It’s been so long in the making that I guess you build it up in your own head about what it is going to feel like when you can finally say you’re a Paralympian and it has only been recently that it has felt real. I’m so grateful that I’ve been given so many opportunities and people have put their trust and faith in me to keep going and keep playing – it’s an amazing feeling knowing that in a short time I’m going to be stepping out into a stadium full of thousands of people getting to play table tennis – what more could I want? That’s incredible.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to play in front of the people that I love. It is not only my wife and daughter that are coming out it is my extended family as well and quite a lot of people from Drumchapel Table Tennis Club and just friends and supporters that I’ve had over the years - for them to want to come out and watch me playing means everything to me.
“I’m going to the Paralympic Games and like the previous major championships my mindset is to go and enjoy it. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to give absolutely everything in every match because of course I’m going to give 100% but I need to enjoy the experience first and foremost. If I can do that then I think the results can take care of themselves but for me it is more about enjoying the experience and having fun and that allows me to play my best table tennis and has helped me to take major medals in the past. I’m probably a bit of a showman and I do like the crowd and the cameras, and I think it unlocks something in my game so hopefully in that environment I can step up to the plate and put up a good performance and bring home a medal.”
Fliss Pickard, 30, Burnley/Sheffield
Events – women’s class 6 singles, women’s class 14 doubles (with Bly Twomey)
“It hasn’t been a smooth journey over the last three years, but I can be very pleased with where I am now and how much I’ve changed as a person both on and off the table. To be in this position is unbelievable. If you had asked me a few years ago I thought it would never happen so to be able to call myself a Paralympian is really special, and it does mean an awful lot to me.
“I wouldn’t have said this at the time but the disappointment of not going to Tokyo was probably one of the best things that happened to me and I can look back and be very proud of how I dealt with everything. The way I’ve come back and my level now - not just my table tennis technically but mentally strong. I can go in to every match now with confidence and I believe I am right at the top of the game and I’m very pleased with how far I’ve come in the last three years.
“It would be incredible to take a medal and it would mean the absolute world but I’m going to take one match at a time and focus on what I do best. That is graft and if I have to get 100 balls on the table then I’ll get 101 and that is the way I’ve always been.
“I’ve definitely grown as a person and an athlete through playing doubles. I’m learning to communicate better, and it has definitely improved me as an athlete because it is a lot more demanding on my movement. It is going to take time but I think Bly and I have gelled really well. We are both very similar in our mindset - we both want to win and are natural fighters and she has got great enthusiasm for the game. It has really calmed me down and helped me to just have fun and enjoy the game so it has been fantastic playing with Bly.”
Megan Shackleton, 24, Todmorden/Sheffield
Events – women’s class 4 singles, mixed class 7 doubles (with Tom Matthews)
“The news that I had received a wild card has definitely taken a while to sink in. I felt relieved and really happy because I’ve put a lot of hard work into this cycle and it has been really challenging so it’s nice to reap the rewards from that and it is obviously a huge honour to represent ParalympicsGB again.
“I think the experience of competing in Tokyo and coming away with a medal was absolutely huge - managing the pressure that comes with it during the Games - so I feel I know a little bit more about what to expect but I’m just really grateful to have the opportunity to play in a Paralympic Games again.
“My form this year gives me a lot of confidence. I put a lot of hard work into trying to get those results and get those wins and as I’ve got older, I’m just trying to consolidate wins when it matters so that when I turn up in Paris hopefully I can put in some good performances and really challenge the top players.
“What is really exciting about Paris is that, unlike Tokyo, family and friends can all be there, so I think I’ll have quite a big crew out there supporting me. A lot of my friends have started looking at buying tickets so they’re all really excited and I ‘m just happy for them as well that they get to experience a Games and see someone they love competing after supporting me for a long time.
“I want to go into Paris feeling excited and knowing I’ve put a lot of hard work in but like most athletes I think everyone dreams of coming away with a medal. I don’t believe it is completely out of my reach so I will be challenging for that but as long as I bring the performances I know I can to the table I’ll be at peace with the outcome either way.”
Billy Shilton, 25, Stonehouse (Gloucester)/Sheffield
Events – men’s class 8 singles, men’s class 14 doubles (with Paul Karabardak)
“Obviously to go to any Paralympic Games is special but I think this time it is a bit different, and I managed to qualify by ranking which is a nice feeling. For me the last three years have been really tough, and I’ve put a lot of work in and I’m happy that the results that I’ve picked up over the last three years have shown. I’m absolutely buzzing to be honest.
“In Tokyo I was so happy to be there I would have taken anything, and I was so happy with the bronze but this time I believe that I’m meant to be there and I believe I can win a medal. I’m doing everything I can in the (training) hall to make sure that happens and all the work that we put in in the hall shows in the tournaments especially in situations where it really counts. I genuinely believe that I am one of the best players in the world in class 8 and I’m definitely striving towards a medal.
“Doubles is first which will be quite nice for me and Paul because apart from the Worlds which obviously went really well, in all the other tournaments doubles has been last and if you have a really good singles tournament and your partner doesn’t or the other way round it can be difficult to reset and really focus on doubles. So, I think from that sense it is a positive that we will play doubles first, but they are both really important and I’m looking forward to competing in both events.
“Trust is massively important in a doubles partnership and that starts off the table – Paul and I both want to win so badly and our relationship off the table is really good. When you get on to the table it should be all about winning. It’s difficult because I train in Sheffield and Paul is based in Wales so it is very important that we get as much practice as we can and the more repetition we have the better it gets. It’s going in the right direction and I think we will be at our peak in Paris.
“I remember the build-up last time – the atmosphere was so good in the training hall and it was a really exciting time so I’m looking forward to that. We’ve all worked so hard to get to this point that you’ve got to enjoy it. I know it is hard work and there can be difficult moments but the more you enjoy it the more rewarding it will be when we get to Paris.”
Joshua Stacey, 24, Cardiff/Sheffield
Events – men’s class 9 singles, men’s class 18 doubles (with Aaron McKibbin), mixed class 17 doubles (with Bly Twomey)
“I don’t know if I’d say I’m more excited about Paris than I was about Tokyo because the Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of the sport regardless. Right now it is just about doing everything you can to be in the best shape possible when you get there.
“I’m definitely looking forward to Paris – for whatever reason I seem to mentally enjoy the big moments more so than the smaller tournaments. I have to try and take it in when I’m not competing because I end up being in my own little bubble and I can’t hear anything to the extent where Mat (GB coach Mat Kenny) is calling out something and I can’t hear a word he is saying. So, it is definitely outside of the competition hall that I’ll really soak it up.
“At the end of the day everyone is nervous to a certain degree but I’d much rather lose trying to play the right way and doing everything I’ve tried to do in practice for the last three years than go out playing really scared and that be the reason I’ve lost. When I was about 15, I lost in the National Championships in the Cadet Final after I don’t think I’d lost a tournament the whole year. I allowed the pressure to creep in and that was all I could think about and after the match I said to myself ‘you’re not going to waste however long you’ve prepared for a tournament by allowing your nerves to control what you do when you play’. I’m disappointed when I lose but I can definitely sleep better if it’s not because I’ve allowed pressure to control what I’m doing it’s purely because my level wasn’t good enough on the day. I’ll then go back to the drawing board and find ways to improve.
“The weight that I put on doubles and singles is equal. If I’ve got an opportunity to win a Paralympic gold medal in both events, I don’t think there is any way I’ll be thinking doubles is preparation for the singles. I’m going to try my hardest to win both events regardless of which comes first.”
Bly Twomey, 14, Brighton
Events – women’s class 7 singles, women’s class 14 doubles (with Fliss Pickard), mixed class 17 doubles (with Joshua Stacey)
“I was really happy when I found out I had qualified for Paris because I didn’t think I’d do it at such a young age. I’m excited to see the atmosphere and figure out what the Paralympic Games is all about. I’ve always watched it and wanted to be there. Someone said to me two years ago ‘you’re definitely going to go to LA’ and now I’m really happy to know that I’m going to Paris and I’ve accomplished my dream within three years of starting to play table tennis.
“I’ve won four gold medals this year and I think I am up there with the top players. I beat the number two in the world in Slovenia and that will give me a confidence boost to know that I’ve done that.
“Brighton Table Tennis Club are bringing 70 people to Paris. The club has changed my life massively because they have helped me through my ups and downs and helped me build my confidence and understand my disability. It means a lot that they are going to come and support me and I’m really happy that they are by my side.
“I’m really pleased that the Paralympics are in Paris because it means I can bring lots of my family and they are really looking forward to seeing me play. My mum, dad, brother, sister and all my grandparents are going to be there and some friends as well.
“Everyone at school is also really excited – it is one of their own and they are all about expressing what you want to do and getting to wherever you want to go. I think they are really happy for me and the whole school is cheering me on and it’s going to be great.”
British Para Table Tennis Performance Director, Gorazd Vecko:
“I think we have a really good squad - a good mix of young and experienced athletes and also some new first Paralympians with Martin Perry, Fliss Pickard and Bly Twomey. With Bly being only 14 years old it opens a new era in Para table tennis but we also have really experienced athletes like Will Bayley, Rob Davies and Aaron McKibbin. They have plenty of experience and if they can give that experience to the younger athletes to know what to expect I think we will have a really good Games.
“After 12 years we are coming back to Europe for the Games which we are excited about because it is like a home crowd for us in Europe and we don’t need to be prepared for the time difference and jet lag and so on which I think will give us a bit of an advantage. We are in the mix to get good results but at a Paralympic Games one millimetre or one point can make a big difference so it will be very competitive. Tokyo was really good for us with seven medals and to repeat that will be difficult, but we have the athletes and I believe we can achieve our target with the players that we have competing in Paris.
“We have tried out different combination in the doubles at tournaments and the World Championships two years ago was encouraging and good for us, but we need to understand that other countries have also had more time to prepare and change their doubles teams and it will be very competitive. We are targeting medals with some of our doubles teams and with others we just want players to feel the crowd and the tables, the ball, lighting, flooring - how this will affect them so they are better prepared for the singles events. We will have no chance to practice in the competition hall when the doubles start so we will try to put all the athletes in the doubles so they can get some feeling of the hall and everything to be the best prepared for the singles.”