Para powerlifter Thomas Smith aiming for Paris after behind-the-scenes Commonwealth experience

Para powerlifting hopeful Thomas Smith reckons his Team England Futures lessons can fire him onto the ParalympicsGB squad for Paris 2024, writes Tum Balogun. 

The 21-year-old is one of over 1,000 talented young athletes and aspiring support staff given the opportunity to attend the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, watch live sporting action and take a first-hand look behind-the-scenes.

Speaking at the Edgbaston-based camp during the home Games, the Huntingdon native detailed how the rare experience of exposure to athletes from a range of sports can aid his ongoing development.

He said: “Being completely honest, I've loved all of it.

“I don't think there's been any part that's been like the real highlight just because of how good everything's been.

“I think coming here and having such a wide range of sports that people are doing on the Immersion Camp and on the Futures Programme and just be able to gain an understanding and share experiences.

"There’s people like myself that are part of the British Weightlifting governing body that do the Paralympic discipline of powerlifting but there are also people here that do weightlifting itself.

“So sharing similarities, but also the differences that that holds - there’s badminton players and all sorts here that can really give you an understanding as to where they are in their journey.

“At the end of the day, everyone's in a similar stage of their career before [hopefully] getting onto the Team England Commonwealth Games team.”

Team England Futures seeks to better prepare athletes to deliver medal-winning performances as either Team England, Team GB or ParalympicsGB debutants at future Games, while also giving support staff a first-hand look at the opportunities they could be presented with, as well as challenges they may face, at a multi-sport competition.

Smith began his para powerlifting journey in 2018 as a way to improve his personal fitness before being headhunted by British Weightlifting.

The youngster secured an impressive 54kg junior world title in Tbilisi last year with a personal best of 130kg and has emerged as a major talent in that category.

Smith shared his delight in seeing both para and able-bodied sport commence side-by-side in Birmingham, adding: “I think the Commonwealth Games has just been incredible.

“There's just so much more inclusivity of para sports and able-bodied sports being in the same games and being in the same event.

“Just having that inclusivity of all as one just makes it such a great environment.”

Commonwealth Games England has appointed SportsAid to lead on the development, management and operational delivery of Team England Futures at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. You can find out more about the programme by visiting https://www.sportsaid.org.uk/partnerships/team-england-futures/.