The athletes, aged between 13 and 38-years-old, were helped by 25 Cadbury volunteers while the event gave the athletes the opportunity to try out a range of sports, including athletics, wheelchair basketball, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair fencing, sitting volleyball, sledge hockey and goalball.

Paralympic Potential Days are designed to find people with a disability who have the potential talent, ambition and determination to become members of the British  team and compete for Britain at the Games.

Those who are identified as having Paralympic Potential will go on to work with performance coaches and specific sport clubs.

Tim Reddish, chairman of ParalympicsGB said: "Paralympic Potential Days such as this one are a fantastic opportunity for disabled people to try out a variety of different Paralympic sports under one roof.

"Today we have had over 50 disabled people from across the country, from Jersey to Manchester, and our next day will be in Newcastle so that we can target potential athletes from further north.

"Everyone seems to have really enjoyed their experience and it's exciting to think that Paralympians of the future could be in this room today."

Reddish also hailed the contribution of Cadbury, the Official Treat Provider of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, who ParalympicsGB has worked with since spring 2009.


As part of the relationship, Cadbury employees assist at Paralympic Potential Days and Paralympic Preparation Camps up and down the country, helping ParalympicsGB to identify new talent and prepare existing athletes for the Paralympic Games.

They carried out a variety of roles at the Paralympic Potential Days, including helping coaches, escorting and encouraging athletes and bringing some extra fun to the event.

Jonathan Horrell, director of corporate affairs UK and Ireland at Kraft Foods, said: "We are proud to support ParalympicsGB and Britain's Paralympic athletes.

"Our volunteers are thrilled to be involved at the very start of this exciting journey for these Paralympic athletes.

"This is the seventh Paralympic Potential Day that Cadbury has sponsored and co-hosted with ParalympicsGB.

"This is one of the ways Cadbury, as a London 2012 partner, shows support for athletes who are aspiring to participate in future Paralympic Games."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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