Micky's Pembrokeshire
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Jacob prepares for London boccia event
Bethesda boccia player Jacob Thomas is taking part in one of the key run-up events to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where he will be part of the Great Britain team competing in the London Boccia Invitational event, which will act as the Test event for the Paralympic Games.
The 16-year-old student at Pembrokeshire College will compete in both the individual and pairs event over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The test event will be held on the Olympic Park at the Basketball Arena, although in the Games itself the Boccia competition will be held at the Excel Arena.
Roller-coaster ride
Last year was a rollercoaster for Jacob and his family, as the early part of 2011 saw him battle against a major illness, fighting a life-threatening infection at a high dependency unit in the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
He soon bounced back, however, and once home returned to training, progressing his weekly regime whilst he was returning to full health.
Jacob went on to compete for Great Britain in his first international event over the summer where he finished fifth at the Boccia World Cup in Belfast and fourth in the Europa Cup out in Norway.
Real talent showed early on
Jacob learnt to play Boccia, based on boules, at the age of 10 at schools boccia events at Milford Haven, run by Pembrokeshire County Council.
He showed talent very quickly and just three years later he was representing Wales in Boccia. He was invited to become a member of the Academy Programme, created by Disability Sport Wales to ensure that any athlete showing potential to climb the pathway to GB representation had every support and opportunity to make that possible.
Over the last couple of years Jacob has been an integral part of the GB Team, and he is currently the British Champion in the BC3 category.
PHOTO:
Jacob Thomas getting ready to compete in boccia.
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