NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom, 09/18/2008 - The Disabled Sports Personality of the Year David Smith, a 19 year old student from Treloar College in Hampshire, won a Gold medal at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing.

David represented Britain at the sport of Boccia, for which he is the current World Champion. Boccia is a Paralympic sport for athletes with a disability, played by people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities affecting motor skills. It is played in over forty countries worldwide, and is a test of muscle control and accuracy, demanding extreme concentration.

The British trio of Smith, Nigel Murray, and Dan Bentley took on Portugal in the Boccia finals. Portugal is one of the world's top boccia-playing nations who won six medals at the Athens paralympics.

This was David’s first time competing at paralympic level, as one of the four-strong British Boccia squad. Last year, David was a member of the British team which won the gold medal at the Boccia World Cup in Vancouver.

Treloar School, has an impressive pedigree of training potential Paralympic athletes and students from both Treloar School and College regularly compete at national level. The new 2012 Boccia Competition Manager Sandra King currently teaches physical exercise to Treloar’s students, many of whom have severe and complex physical disabilities.

Prior to the games David Smith expressed his excitement about going to Beijing, saying: “This is a great opportunity to show to the world that talent which we have in this country. I am delighted that Britain has embraced the importance of disabled athletes to sport today. Personally speaking, I feel Boccia has developed so much in the last four years and the team and I are going to give it our all to bring some gold back home!”

Contact Details
Treloar School & College
Upper Froyle
Alton, Hampshire
GU34 4LA
T: 01420 526400

Agency / Source: Josh Whiten Consultancy

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