Canterbury College - David Barber pushes on towards sporting success
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David Barber pushes on towards sporting success

Supported Learning student and Wheelchair Rugby player David Barber has high hopes for his journey to getting gold at the Paralympics, as part of the GB elite.

David was only 13 when he signed up for a Wheelchair Rugby taster session at Canterbury Academy after Paralympian Steve Brown visited the school to speak at an assembly, which inspired David greatly.

A few days later he noticed a poster advertising a taster session. He signed up straight away and this is where his wheelchair rugby journey began.

David said: “Before I tried out wheelchair rugby and joined the Canterbury Hellfires, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was shy but I felt like I fitted in with the team straight away. It really did change my life.”

Being born at only 32 weeks, David was eight weeks premature which resulted in him having Cerebral Palsy. As a CP sufferer, David didn’t get to participate in things as much as he would have like to, but wheelchair rugby finally allowed David to pursue his love for sports.

Image belongs to "David Barber Wheelchair Rugby Journey"

Like most athletes, David works extremely hard and this means that he doesn’t always get to participate in many activities that the average 19-year-old would.

He said: “I would not risk my future in this sport for anything. Yes, I make what some people would see as ‘sacrifices’ but I do not see my training as a sacrifice because I love it.”

As David is currently part of the GB development squad, he attends GB Camp once a month. The weekend consists of daily training, with nutrition advice and gameplay. All of this helped David develop his skills in wheelchair rugby.

Mathew Spencer, tutor at Canterbury College, praised David, saying: “He does all of this over a weekend and still manages to attend College on a normal basis. He never wants any special recognition for what he does.”

David is flourishing in his career and runs his own successful website which focusses on all aspects of his life, on top of hundreds of followers on his social media accounts.

Follow David’s journey on social media here:

Facebook
Website
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"Keep Pushing On"