Paris 2024 is almost a home Games for athletes representing Team GB and Paralympics GB – and no more so than for Will Bayley and Bly Twomey, who will have a travelling army of supporters from Brighton TTC cheering them on this summer.
More than 70 club members are already signed up to make the trip to support Will, Bly and the rest of the British team at the Paralympics.
And by the time the sporting spectacular gets under way on August 28, that number could have risen to 120 making the journey to the French capital.
The club has been busy raising funds for the odyssey, and a recent event at the Unbarred Brewery raised around £4,500 to help cover costs, via a silent auction and bar takings. Local business Fatto A Mano have also supported, as have Brighton & Hove Buses and Eurostar.
It will be a fifth Paralympics for Will, who was the Class 7 men’s champion at Rio 2016, while 14-year-old Bly is at the other end of the Paralympic journey and will be one of the youngest members of the British team as she experiences her first Games.
Her mum Claire, who is part of the supporting party, said: “It’s amazing. Bly can’t wait for the support and I can’t wait to cheer her on with everyone else from the club.”
Will, who has also won world and European gold during his career, said: “It’s brilliant to have that kind of support, it’s going to be like a home Games if we’ve got 70 or more people at our matches, I can’t wait for it.
“We’ve had so much support from the local community and people wanting to be part of it and come with us to follow our journey.
“It’s just amazing and it gives you that boost when you come out into the arena to see people you know and who’ve supported you all the way. When you’re looking for inspiration in those key moments and you’ve got that support, it’s absolutely huge.”
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