Para-Badminton Star Aims for Gold in Paris
Daniel Bethell, a para-badminton player from Bath, is aiming for Paralympic gold in Paris after a chance internet search ignited his sporting journey.
Bethell, who has cerebral palsy, grew up playing tennis but discovered a lack of categories for his disability in para-sport. His inspiration came from watching the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
"I was completely blown away by the athletes with similar challenges to mine, and others with different disabilities, achieving such incredible sporting feats," said Bethell. "I thought to myself, 'it would be amazing to be a part of this'."
His quest for a para-sport led him on a Google search, where he stumbled upon para-badminton. "Since it involved a racket, I knew I had some hand-eye coordination that could transfer well," he explained. "So I gave it a go."
Bethell, who kicks off his competition on Thursday against New Zealand's Wojtek Czyz, describes the prospect of playing in the 8,500-capacity Porte de La Chapelle Arena as "surreal" after the Tokyo Games were held behind closed doors.
"I've never played in front of an audience anywhere near that size," he admitted.
