Paralympic coach with cerebral palsy tests care home residents' Boccia skills

Some of North Wales’ oldest players led by paralympic Boccia coach Matt Palamarczuk, have been shaming local school children by beating them in a sport designed to improve motor skills.

Older players at Wrexham’s Hillbury care home proved more than a match for the eight fresh faced teenagers from nearby St Joseph’s RC High School and have now passed them some game tips.

Boccia originated in Greece with players throwing large stones at a target. Today it is played in many countries, using soft balls instead of stones and is similar to the French game of boules.

The Paralympic sport is designed for athletes with severe impairments and has no Olympic equivalent. For athletes with disabilities, Boccia is said to improve motor skills and put to the test muscle control and accuracy skills.

After qualifying as a Paralympic coach, Mr Palamarczuk, who works at the care home, set up a league of Boccia teams in the local park and it is fast becoming a hub for the game in North Wales.

Palamarczuk, whose movement and speech is limited, embraced the sport after watching it for the first time during the London Paralympic Games in 2012.

He told carehome.co,uk “The game is a lot of fun and it’s very competitive and I definitely play to win. The residents enjoy it as well, and I enjoy teaching it to them.”

St Joseph’s student, Liam Carson, 15, said he and the other pupils had practiced the game at school but were keen to learn more from the veterans.

He said: “We had heard about Boccia beforehand, but never actually played it until a few weeks ago. We thought we better do some warm up sessions before coming here as we know the Hillbury residents are big fans of the sport and play it a lot.

“It’s been great fun playing against them and we’ve learned some good tips about the rules plus one or two new techniques.

“As well as playing Boccia we’ve also had a good chance to chat with some of the residents and get to know them a bit better in an informal environment."