The English Open Pickleball Championships 2025 in Telford was not just an event, but a vibrant celebration of diversity, resilience, and the transformative power of sport. Renowned as the largest pickleball tournament in the world outside the United States, this year’s event was truly monumental—spanning five exhilarating days, drawing over 2,000 participants, and bringing together athletes of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Yet, for me, the most profound aspect was taking my place as the sole British competitor in the inaugural Para Standing event, an experience that proved both humbling and inspiring in ways I could never have anticipated.

Breaking New Ground: The First Ever Para Standing Event

Thursday marked a historic moment for UK pickleball: the introduction of the Para Standing category. Despite the global growth of the sport, opportunities for disabled people—particularly standing players—have remained limited, often due to lack of awareness, experience, or visibility. It was no surprise, then, that the first event was small in numbers, with just seven athletes originally registered: five from Ukraine and two from Great Britain. As the day approached, we learned that one Ukrainian player hadn’t made the journey, and one of the British entrants withdrew at the last minute. That left five of us—myself representing Great Britain, and four determined athletes from Ukraine.

Karen Mitchell, CEO of Pickleball England, encapsulated the occasion with her words: “It’s you, flying the flag for GB against Ukraine.” The Ukrainian delegation was formidable, bringing with them not only standing athletes but wheelchair athletes, enthusiastic supporters, and interpreters. For a brief moment, I wondered how I would connect with my competitors. None of the Ukrainian players spoke English, and my Ukrainian, sadly, was non-existent. But with a little help from Google Translate, we built bridges, swapping stories and sharing our journeys. I learned it had taken them three days to travel to Telford, supported by a sponsor, and it dawned on me that flying directly from Kyiv to Birmingham just wouldn’t be an option during wartime.

Their stories captivated me. In Ukraine, the Pickleball Federation uses the sport as rehabilitation for veterans who have acquired impairments during conflict. One athlete shared that he became an amputee after stepping on a landmine; now, he channels his competitive spirit into amputee football and pickleball. When he mentioned a Liverpool coach who had helped their development, the world suddenly shrunk—Steve Johnson, a name well-known to me from my days competing together in volleyball in Atlanta in 1996. It was a reminder of how small, supportive, and interconnected the global disabled sports community can be.

The Competition: Resilience in Action

The round robin format meant each of us would play with and against one another twice, totalling eight games apiece. My own journey to Telford had been fraught with challenges. Just ten weeks earlier, I had sustained a significant injury, spending eight weeks in my wheelchair, unable to train or even wear my prosthetic legs. Only two weeks before the event, I finally managed to wear my legs again and squeeze in a handful of short training sessions—hardly ideal preparation for such a momentous occasion.

I arrived in Telford with no illusions about my fitness; my strength and stamina were diminished, especially in my legs. All I could hope was that my touch and years of competitive grit would see me through. To my surprise, as the games unfolded, I realised I was in with a real shot at gold. I played hard, pushed myself, and after some quick calculations, thought I had done enough to win regardless of the final match. In the end, though, I was tied for gold with another, both of us on 6 wins and 2 losses. A countback on points across the eight games revealed I had scored just six points less, meaning the gold went to Ukraine and I the silver.

At first, I was gutted. I had come so far, endured so much in the lead-up, and to lose by such a slender margin stung. But in reflecting, I realised the achievement was far greater than the medal. My preparation had been hampered by injury, my level of impairment was technically higher than that of my competitors, and I was facing a closely-knit team who trained together regularly, I also could not communicate with my partner due to the language barrier—yet I lost by just six points. It was a testament to both my own resilience and the collective spirit of the group.

Mutual Respect and the Power of Shared Experience

The medals tell only a fraction of the story. During conversations with the Ukrainian athletes, with the help of interpreters, a profound sense of mutual respect emerged. Their delegation shared their admiration for my determination—not simply for competing, but for a lifetime of overcoming barriers, and for showing that perceived limitations do not have to define or restrict participation. They said that watching me compete, knowing that I had been born with my disability and continued to embrace sport, would inspire them as they returned to a country still ravaged by war. When they felt the weight of their circumstances, they said, they would remember what they saw in Telford—that there is always a reason to keep fighting.

I was deeply moved; the truth is, I found their stories, their resilience, and their courage even more inspirational. These were individuals who, through no fault of their own, had their lives upended, acquired impairments in the most traumatic of circumstances, and yet found new purpose and connection through pickleball. They had fought for their country, lost limbs, and rebuilt their identities through sport. Compared to their journey, mine seemed almost straightforward: I have never known anything else, and sport has always been my constant.

Celebrating Inclusion and Looking Ahead

Saturday brought a new challenge—competing in the 35+ 3.0 Men’s Doubles alongside non-disabled athletes. This is one of the unique aspects of pickleball: its accessibility and inclusiveness. I had never met my partner until 1 hour before our first match. Considering this, we both played well. Over the 4 games, we progressed in how we played together and felt we could have potentially won 3 of the 4 group games. Unfortunately, that lack of connection meant we fell short. We also discovered we had one of the harder groups with the two teams that qualified from our pool eventually fighting it out for bronze. To share the court side by side with players of different ages, backgrounds, and lived experiences was a joy. The atmosphere in Telford was electric; watching elite athletes perform, mingling with novices, and seeing every possible combination of players on court was a privilege. With 40 courts, games running every 20 minutes from 8am until late for five solid days, there was always something happening—a true festival of pickleball.

Despite the inevitable delays (hardly surprising given the sheer scale of proceedings), the event ran with remarkable efficiency for an NGB so small and with limited resources. Pickleball England, with no significant funding, has achieved what many larger sporting bodies could only dream of. Their commitment to inclusion, to developing opportunities for disabled people, and to showcasing what’s possible is to be applauded.

Disability, Visibility, and Changing the Narrative

Reflecting on the week, it’s clear to me that events like the English Open do more than just crown champions—they shift perceptions. The visibility of disabled athletes, particularly those participating in both dedicated and mainstream events, challenges the often narrow and outdated views of what disabled people can achieve. Disability, after all, is not a tragedy or something to be “overcome”—it is part of the natural diversity of human experience. The real barriers are often social: lack of knowledge, limited opportunities, and environments that haven’t been designed with inclusion in mind.

I hope that the efforts made this year will ripple outwards. Birmingham will host the Invictus Games in 2027, with pickleball included for the very first time. The West Midlands, with its rich sporting heritage, is already working to become an exemplary region for disabled people. But there is more to do. We must continue to break down barriers and raise the visibility of disabled people, being able to thrive when given the right opportunities, surrounded by the right attitudes and champion the social model of disability. We must continue to change structures, attitudes, and assumptions and focus on what people when given the right opportunities rather than what they can’t because their individual impairment does not fit into a world we have created.

Building a Legacy and Looking Forward

As I look back, I am proud—not just of the silver medal or of having been the only British competitor, but of having played a small part in something much bigger. The camaraderie and respect built with my Ukrainian peers, the lessons learned from each other, and the knowledge that together we can inspire others—these are the true legacies of the English Open 2025.

My hope is that conflict will end, and one day I’ll be able to travel to Ukraine, to compete with and against these athletes again in their homeland. Until then, I look forward to future tournaments, to more opportunities for disabled people to engage in the sport, and to continue progression towards a society where everyone can thrive.

If you play pickleball, or simply love sport, I urge you to come to the next English Open, to compete, to watch, or simply to experience the community. The English Open is a shining example of what sport should be: accessible, inclusive, and transformative. As for me, my training has already started to be even fitter, stronger, better for next year.