Tokyo medal hope five years after bike accident
FIVE years on from a cycling accident that left him paralysed from the waist down, Tokyo-bound Benjamin Pritchard is determined to cap his rapid rise in the world of para rowing by powering to a podium place.
The 29-year-old from Ammanford will make his Paralympic debut in the PR1 men’s single sculls after being named alongside James Fox, Ellen Buttrick, Giedre Rakauskaite, Ollie Stanhope, Erin Kennedy, Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley in the eight-strong Paralympicsgb rowing squad.
A keen sportsman all his life, Pritchard had long been a follower of both the Olympics and Paralympics before the prospect of one day competing for his country at the latter first crossed his mind, while recovering at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 2016.
But having been reluctant to pick up a pair of oars at first, even the European silver medallist himself is still struggling to come to terms with his stunning ascent to sport’s greatest stage, just two years after making his international debut.
“I remember lying in my hospital bed in the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, and wondering whether I could have a chance of making it one day,” said Pritchard.
“At that point it was only ever about Paris in 2024, because I didn’t think four years would be long enough to learn a new sport and a new way of life.
“Rowing was important for my rehab during that time, but I absolutely hated it at first!
“I found it really boring, but I’ve learnt to love the sport and the pain now! 2019 came along and suddenly I was finishing fourth at the World Championships and qualifying the boat for Tokyo.
“To think that five years ago I was in a hospital bed and now I’m going to the Paralympics is crazy! I can’t stop smiling and although it’s going to be different with the restrictions, I’m going to make sure I enjoy it to the max.”
Pritchard is one of more than 1,000 athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme which allows him to train full-time, access the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support.
Being so new to para rowing the prospect of an extra year’s preparation for the Games in the wake of Covid-19 initially worked in Pritchard’s favour, but having contracted the virus late last year and suffered from various other setbacks his journey to the Japanese capital hasn’t been wholly straightforward.
But a late decision to attend April’s European Championships in Varese, Italy, yielded a second-place finish while boosting his confidence and mindset, and he is now ready to challenge the planet’s best where it matters most.
He added: “Over the past 18 months I’ve been able to put in some solid training, but I have also had to recover from an arm operation in November and Covid-19, which I caught two days before Christmas!
“My partner Megan works in a hospital, and unfortunately Covid made it into the house. I had it for a couple of weeks, and I’ve struggled to come back from it in terms of bouncing back in training.
“I wasn’t sure whether I was ready for the Europeans but thankfully my coach Tom Dyson, and British Rowing’s chief medical officer Ann Redgrave, persuaded me to compete.
“That silver medal gave me a lot of belief, as well as some valuable racing experience.
“Covid is still lingering a bit in terms of fatigue but I’m feeling good on the water, and I’m really hoping I can push for a medal place out in Japan.”
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