Paralympian Jack Smith visits County Durham school

Now he is a Paralympic gold medallist who found his first public engagement – at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School near Stanley, County Durham, on Friday – not only inspired the pupils but also himself.

The 30-year-old, from Sedgefield, said: “I’d never done anything like this before.

“The headteacher talked about the dips we go through in life and told the kids to look at me to see how people can overcome challenges.

“It made me think about my journey – something I’ve never done because I’ve always had something to focus on, something I wanted to achieve and I kept ploughing on towards that.

“I imagine it was a lot worse for my family than me. I suppose I was a kid when it happened, I always just thought ‘what next?’ and had something to work towards.

“I might be an emotional wreck after this.”

Read more: Sedgefield's Jack Smith wins Paralympic gold

A passionate sportsman, it didn’t take long for Jack to return to rugby after his accident in January 2008.

During his three-month stay in hospital, Shaun Lacey from the Spinal Injuries Association visited him and suggested trying wheelchair rugby in the future.

Jack said: “He came in and said life wasn’t all doom and gloom, by the September I was playing.

“I went to watch the London 2012 Paralympics, it was there I thought this is something I want to do so I started training more, eating the right foods, watched lots of wheelchair rugby and started learning.”

In 2015 he joined a GB talent squad and after Rio 2016 was called to join the elite squad.

“Of course I said yes. Then there were five years and many tournaments, none of which I got selected for. I just wasn’t good enough, I guess.

“Then I must have done enough, the coach selected me for Tokyo, and somehow 11 mates playing wheelchair rugby managed to win gold.

“It was only when I got home, saw my parents and girlfriend in the airport, and people back home that I realised how much it meant,” he said.

Jack credits the game of wheelchair rugby – and training five to six days most weeks - with giving him back his independence.

He said: “I’ve made lots of friends and I can get in and out of the car, feed myself, move wheelchairs, shower myself and I probably would not have been able to do all of that if I hadn’t found the game.”

Headteacher Kay Hemmings said: “We have a disability awareness morning every year and do lots of activities so children have empathy and understanding of people’s differences and the difficulties some people face.

“It is wonderful to hear from Jack, not just about the gold medal success but also the challenges he’s had to overcome.

“We talk a lot about the power of yet – we don’t want children to say they cannot do something and give up but to say I cannot do it yet and keeping trying.”

Gold medal winning paralympian Jack Smith with year 4 pupil Jayden Hind at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, near Stanley. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.Gold medal winning paralympian Jack Smith at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, near Stanley

Gold medal winning paralympian Jack Smith at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, near Stanley. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.

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