Hannah's Paralympics dream is very much alive

Oldham rugby star Hannah Bucys’ memorable European sporting summer saw her learn from a legend of the sport as she continues her push towards the Paralympics.

Bucys, 21, has been singled out by charity SportsAid in collaboration with Pitching In as an athlete with the potential to reach the top of her sport.

A star of the West Coast Wheelchair Rugby Club side, Bucys was selected to attend a training camp in Italy run by rugby legend Martin Castrogiovanni earlier this year.

“It was an amazing experience,” she said.

“They wanted two female athletes from the UK to head over and they don't have many females playing in Italy so they wanted to showcase what females can do in wheelchair rugby.

“It was an amazing opportunity and it was just amazing to be a part of that camp for the week and take everything in and understand how they play.

“It was really good to learn from different people and be coached by Olivier Cusin, who used to be the French national team coach, as he brought a lot of knowledge and expertise and it was really good to see a different style of coaching.

“It was just a really good opportunity to showcase what we can do and what we do in the UK and learn about how wheelchair rugby runs in Italy and their progressions and pathways.”

Bucys admits she wasn’t quite sure how the opportunity came about or even why she was put forward, but she could not have been more grateful for the opportunity and in turn hopes she will have made a mark on others.

“It was great to spread awareness of wheelchair rugby and the female presence within wheelchair rugby,” she said.

“It's growing but I think it's good to be able to showcase what women can do in the sport.

“I think it was good to show what we can do as well because it's quite male dominated, so hopefully that will inspire more women to take it up in Italy.”

Bucys then headed over to Paris to watch the Paralympics, which reinstated her desire to be in the thick of the action at LA2028.

“It was an incredible experience. I watched the gold medal match, the bronze medal match, the semi-finals, the rankings games and it was an incredible experience,” said Bucys.

“The atmosphere was amazing.

"You can't beat watching live sport and it was just an amazing experience.

“I'm so glad I went and to be able to support the GB team out there and watch them play on the biggest stage was just amazing.

“It just really gave me that boost to want to be there and compete on the biggest stage.”

Bucys is one of 50 athletes across a multitude of sports supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multimillion-pound grassroots sport programme established by Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral.

Ahead of the start of her new club season, Bucys hailed the funding for removing the financial burden in her quest for Paralympic glory.

“The support from SportsAid has been amazing,” she added.

“It's supported my training costs with regards to fuel, equipment, getting new tyres, new tubes, all the stuff that we need to be able to train.

“That support means that it's one less thing to worry about, so I'm extremely grateful.”

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid.

Visit: entaingroup.com to find out more.

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