page revision date : 30th November 2009
Jacob aims high in Boccia
Jacob Thomas has long since proved inspirational proof to others that being in a wheelchair doesn’t prevent sporting involvement because he has earned his reputation as a very fine boccia player who has won a string of medals and is setting his eyes on further improvement as he travels to Cardiff for weekly training, as well as taking part up to four times a week in our locality.
Right attitude
Boccia is a cross between the French game of boules and indoor bowls, and Jacob clearly demonstrates that having to play from a wheelchair is no hindrance as long as the participant has a good eye for line, an ability to play a tactical, skilful game, and total commitment to the cause. Boccia is played indoors with leather woods and a leather jack and the players are seated alongside each other and bowl either red or blue balls at the jack, with skill needed to gain pole position in front of the opposing player or pair on the eight-metre long court.
Jacob certainly has the right attitude because although he has Muscular Dystrophy he doesn’t allow it to stop him taking part and he has a refreshing attitude which many other sportsmen would do well to follow.
Quick success
Jacob hails from the peaceful village of Bethesda and he receives total support from parents Caroline and Michael, plus his sister Polly. He started out when he was a pupil at Ysgol Brynconin, having tried his hand at the Meads Sports Centre, Milford Haven, in a try-it-and-see session. He took to it like a duck to water and from there Jacob has gained a reputation for being a gritty competitor and a canny reader of the game, being invited to play ‘up the line’ for the Boccia Blasters in Cardiff.
This 14 year-old schoolboy then represented Wales at Boccia in the Cheshire International Open and he has since been back this year when he took part in the pairs with Gareth Stafford against pairs from England, Ireland, Scotland and Slovakia. They came a very creditable second place behind the top pair in Great Britain and certainly caught the eye of selectors because Jacob has joined four other competitors from the Welsh Academy to attend fast-track training in Sheffield, hopefully with 2012 in mind. He had previously travelled to Sheffield for the Disability Sport England Junior Cup, where he won three matches before losing narrowly in the semi-final.
Keen sports fan
As well as his boccia, Jacob is a keen fan of rugby, football and cricket, with Manchester United as his No 1 team. It was recently his 15th birthday and after attending squad training for Boccia at Sophia Gardens he went with friend Thomas Martin to watch Cardiff City play. On the Sunday, his actual birthday, he went to the Liberty Stadium to cheer on the Ospreys and really loved that new experience too.
But it is boccia that is his main interest and although Jacob has recently switched to a different classification by using a ramp to propel his leather woods towards the jack. He has adapted remarkably well and is able to use his tactical awareness to good effect as he plays not only in Cardiff but in Haverfordwest as well. He took on far more experienced players in Cardiff but still came second in the Welsh National Finals so this bodes well for his future development in this new category.
| 
