I was introduced to boccia at the age of 8 when I went to a disability sports day representing my old school, Aspley Wood. From there I was asked to play for the Nottinghamshire squad.

I didn't win my first competition but that made me more determined to train hard and improve. It worked, because I went on to win three consecutive regional championships!

The third of my regional victories was my best, in the 2010/11 season. I competed in the national championships for the third year running and I only lost one game which was to the world number two, in the final. I was the only person to take a point off him in the competition! I lost 6-1.

On the route to that occasion, I beat the European championship winner twice. In both those games, the highlights was when I put my ball on top of the jack to win the game when he had five balls surrounding the jack. I ended up winning the match 6-4.

I was then asked to join the England squad. In one training session I competed against both BC4s simultaneously and beat them 6-0.

During this period, I also got fast-tracked through a GB talent scouting programme for athletes coming through to be part of the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Here I was eventually re-classified from a BC2 to a BC5, which meant I was no longer eligible for the Paralympic pathway.

That didn’t stop my love for the game though. In fact, some of the best times while I was playing the sport came when I became a BC5.

For example, leading Team Spirit to the Super League, which is one of the best moments of my career. I loved working with Connor and Harry and the rest of my teammates, oh and coach Kate of course 😀.

What I love about Nottinghamshire Boccia Club is that we have such a community spirit. We can have fun and still want each other to succeed. It has been a privilege to be part of this club’s journey so far and I'm sure that together we can create many more memories.