Eyers dreams big after making Paralympic bow

By Milly McEvoy in Paris

Jack Eyers is aiming for the jackpot having bought his lottery ticket and ticked the box of becoming a Paralympian.

The Poole paddler made his Games debut in the canoe sprint, qualifying for the va’a semi-finals with his maiden race.

Eyers was previously a personal trainer and model, winning Mr England in 2017, before turning a hobby of kayaking into his profession.

“It has definitely been an eight-year journey for me stepping into para canoe,” the 35-year-old, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

“I narrowly missed out on Tokyo and to be here really is a dream come true, I know it’s a bit cliche but it ticked a lot of my boxes and I feel like I’ve completed the set of para canoe now.

“I’m not going to do myself an injustice. I think I’ve got the potential, I think I’ve got the minerals to be top of the podium.

“I like to say I bought my National Lottery ticket and I’m here for the jackpot.”

Eyers missed out on selection for Tokyo 2020 and used that as motivation to be selected for his first Games in Paris.

He became world champion in 2021, defending his title a year later, before losing it last year and missing out on the final earlier in 2024 as his boat broke.

Eyers finished third in his heat as Curtis McGrath of Australia set a new Paralympic record to take the only direct qualifying spot for the final.

That means he will go again in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the showpiece following after.

He added: “Sunday is a recovery day for us. Semi-finals then finals are on the Sunday.

“It’s just about getting myself back into a place that I know I can do. That was probably sub-max.

“There were a few things that didn’t hook up in the way I wanted it to. Some of that was just an increased adrenaline and some of it as well was just trying to read the conditions.

“The wind is swinging around a little bit so more time on these waters and tuning into that.

“It was my first international for a couple of months, the World Championships were in May so there is a little bit of blowing the cobwebs out today.

“Also being in lane 7 and having the whole crowd sat on your shoulder, I’ve got a number of friends and family in there and I could hear them talking, or I thought I was anyway.

“That added to the excitement. That for me was about blowing out the cobwebs and also becoming a Paralympian.

“I’ve now been on the field of play, I’m now a Paralympian. Ticking the box, job done. Time to recover, then Sunday feeling good.”

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