ParalympicsGB have today announced the two flagbearers who will carry the Union flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Seven-time Paralympic Wheelchair basketball player Terry Bywater and Wheelchair tennis athlete Lucy Shuker, who will be competing at her fifth Games, will lead the British team at the Opening Ceremony which takes place at Place de la Concorde on 28th August.
Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce Terry and Lucy as our ParalympicsGB flagbearers for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. Their selection – which was voted for by their teammates – underlines just how much both athletes epitomise the Paralympic values that we as a team are so proud of.
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with both Terry and Lucy since they made their Paralympic debuts, and watching them grow both as competitors and as individuals. Their dedication and commitment to their sport, matched with their positive attitudes and enthusiasm to support those around them makes me immensely proud.”
Redcar-born Bywater, who made his Paralympic debut back in Sydney 2000 at just 17-years-old, has been a stalwart of the British team at every Games since, winning four Paralympic bronze medals along the way – most recently at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Games. This year marks his 25th anniversary in the sport.
Speaking after being told the news of his special role within the team, the 41-year-old said: “It’s a dream come true – I feel quite emotional. This is my seventh Games, I actually wear the number seven vest too – so this is all a bit crazy right now. To be honest, carrying the Union flag, it hasn’t sunk in – I’m just super, super proud. This is not just about me, this is for the 215 athletes that are here, all the staff, my family, my wife, my son, my family that have passed away that always followed me – I’ll be doing it for everyone.
“Going to Sydney as a 17-year-old kid, I never thought I’d make two Games never mind seven. I kept on going because I just love Wheelchair basketball – I’m very passionate about it, it’s my life. But I also love ParalympicsGB, I’ve got fond memories of every single Paralympic Games going back to Sydney 2000. This is a genuine dream.”
Shuker first represented ParalympicsGB at Beijing 2008, claiming her first medal four years later when she won women’s doubles bronze alongside Jordanne Whiley at London 2012. The pair went on to win another bronze medal at Rio 2016 before going one better at Tokyo 2020 where they claimed silver.
Shuker, 44, said: “To have that honour to lead ParalympicsGB out is incredible and something that I never thought I would do. To qualify for my first Paralympics in Beijing was an achievement in itself – but to come to my fifth Paralympics and now be a flagbearer is a real dream come true.
“Leading the parade down the Champs-Elysées and Place de la Concorde is going to be really different – eyes will be on me, but also the rest of ParalympicsGB. We are a big team and to be at the front of that is insane, incredible and an honour. The team is everything, we are all there to represent ParalympicsGB and bring back medals – so we will do it together.”
About ParalympicsGB
ParalympicsGB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team competing at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. We know that the outstanding performances of our athletes have a powerful impact on the British public and can shift perceptions of disability in society, helping to inspire a better world for disabled people.
We have a proud history as the United Kingdom is the birthplace of Paralympic sport which began with the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 and has grown to become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
ParalympicsGB is the UK’s largest disability sports charity and relies on the support of its commercial partners to deliver a world class environment where athletes can achieve their personal best performances and break down barriers for all disabled people.
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Biographies of selected athletes can be found at https://paralympics.org.uk/athletes with rights free images available on ParalympicsGB Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paralympicsgb/albums
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