A TEENAGER selected to represent Great Britain in the Paralympic Games in Paris described the opportunity as “once in a lifetime”.

Sally Kidson, a student at Treloar College in Alton, will head to the French capital in August to compete in the Paralympic Games as part of the Boccia squad.

The 19-year-old, from Salisbury, who has spinal muscular atrophy type 2, will make her debut at the games alongside former Treloar’s students Will Arnott and Treloar’s patron David Smith OBE.

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(Image: Treloar's) Sally said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be able to represent Boccia UK and the ParalympicsGB team at the Paris 2024 Games. Competing in the Paralympic Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am grateful beyond words to have been selected to be a part of such an amazing group of people.”

Boccia is a Paralympic sport where athletes throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto a court with the aim to get as close as possible to a white ball called the Jack.

When Sally joined Treloar School in September 2016, she had played a little boccia at her primary school but only at a very basic level, with her school improvising the equipment using a piece of plumbing and some balls from a shop.

It soon became apparent that she had a natural talent for the game and through Treloar’s she was able to compete at the Heathcoat Cup and later at the BE Cup, competitions organised by the National Governing Body for Boccia in England.

Aged 17, Sally made her GB debut at the World Boccia Poznan Challengers in August 2022.

In the Paralympic Games qualifying event in Portugal, Sally, together with Will Arnott, overcame two defeats in the BC3 Pair pool matches before going on to win gold, securing Great Britain a spot for the BC3s in Paris.

Sally said she is excited to continue to build this momentum, adding: “I am looking forward to continuing to develop within the individual competition amongst a field of fierce competitors.

“It's been a crazy journey so far, filled with challenges, triumphs, and many, many hours of hard work, but I can't wait to see what lies ahead and continue the journey at my first Paralympic games.”

Sally follows in the footsteps of former Treloar’s student and patron, David Smith OBE, Britain’s most decorated Boccia player, who will be playing in his fifth Paralympic Games in Paris.