After finishing in fourth place in her category at the World Boccia Challenger in Zagreb, Croatia in March and bringing her team closer to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, 18-year-old Sally Kidson of Salisbury is now helping the UK boccia team rise to the challenge at the European Para Championships.

Boccia (pronounced 'Bot-cha') is a Paralympic sport which sees athletes throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court with the aim of getting closest to a 'jack' ball.

It is designed specifically for athletes with a disability affecting locomotor function, and it is played indoors on a court similar in size to a badminton court.

Sally, who uses a wheelchair, competes in the BC3 category, which means she makes use of a ramp and is joined on the court by her mother, Sarah, as ramp assistant.

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The European Para Championships began in Rotterdam on Tuesday, August 8 and will continue until Sunday, August 20, featuring competitions in 10 different sports, with approximately 1,500 para-athletes from 45 European nations taking part.

Sally will participate in both the individual and pairs competitions.

In the individual competition, she is scheduled to face Italy’s Giulia Marchisio in Pool B of the BC3 category before the competition moves onto quarterfinals and later holds the pairs and teams rounds, during which she will team up with Will Arnott of Reading.

Sally said: “I’m really excited for the Euros – it’s my first major event so I’m excited to play some good boccia against strong opponents and learn some things along the way.”