SAM OLDKNOW: Reaching New Boccia Heights I have been playing Boccia for around seven years now. I attended a “Playground to Podium” event when I was 8 years old and was identified as a potential Boccia player. From the event I was invited to join the Notts Elite Boccia squad.
The Notts Elite Boccia squad is run by Pete Edwards and, in joining, I hoped to enjoy it. From the moment I first began to play Boccia I found it really fun to be part of. I felt that it was a sport that I could compete in against my peers and hopefully progress through to the highest level. Over the past seven years I have made steady progress under the tutition of my coach and with the support of my teammates at Nottingham Boccia Club. However, the last twelve months have been amazing. I have always worked hard at the sport and always wanted to climb the ladder of success, but I never dreamed it would happen so quickly. Over the last year I have competed in many different competitions and tournaments and have seen my confidence rise with every event. It all began at the Regional competition in early December 2011, where I was looking to retain the title I had won in 2010. I played well throughout the day, reaching the final against my friend and club teammate Patrick Mawson. Having to beat him is never an easy thing to do and this final was no different. But I did, enabling me to gain automatic selection into the National competition in May 2012.
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Boccia Inclusive
Another event I played in last year was the Pan Disability Community league, where my team finished top of our division. I went on to captain my side to sixth place in the national finals, which were held in Nottingham. I felt disappointed that day because I don’t think I played as well as I could. But looking back we had to be pleased with where we finished, and the progress we had made. I also competed at the DSE games in Sheffield, where things just didn’t seem to go my way and no matter what I tried I just seem to come up short each time. I used this event as practice for the National finals, which were later that month, but I still don’t like losing. The DSE’s opened my eyes to the fact that you must always keep pushing forward and always look for the positives in everything. Looking back I think the DSE was probably the best preparation for the National I could have had. At the National competition I took each game one at a time, focusing on winning each tie before I looked to the next. I ended up winning every match right through to the final. In the final I came up against Nigel Murray, who is now a BC1/2 Team Bronze Medallist from London 2012 (and a bit of a hero of mine).