The Bath-born 29-year-oldcompared the effects of his concussion, which resulted from a head collision with an epee sparring partner, to severe jetlag, leaving him unable to focus. He struggled to maintain conversations and couldn’t even finish watching a movie because he would forget what had happened earlier.

Gilliver, who made history by winning the epee title at Tokyo 2020, becoming Britain's first Paralympic fencing champion since Carol Walton in 1988, managed to recover sufficiently to claim the world epee championship later in 2023. Sabre is a relatively new discipline for him, but he remained composed, defeating Ukraine’s Tokyo silver medallist Artem Manko 15-14 in the semi-finals at the Grand Palais before losing 15-8 to Germany’s Martin Schmidt in the final.

The day was longer than anticipated, with the event running more than two hours behind schedule. Spectators from the day session were asked to relocate to accommodate those arriving for the evening. Despite Gilliver’s final taking place at 23:00 over an hour later than planned, the stands were still packed, including his parents and girlfriend.

"It’s been a really tough cycle," Gilliver shared. "The last couple of years have been some of the hardest points of my life, and there are points where I’ve questioned all sorts of things. There have been a lot of challenges, and it’s been tough to get through, so it’s great to be able to even be here competing, to be honest."

Unlike some of his competitors, Gilliver uses a wheelchair due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare condition affecting connective tissue. The concussion, on top of other setbacks, left him feeling low. Fencers are seated close together during matches, with their wheelchairs fixed in place, posing a risk of head collisions. "Someone’s head connecting with yours is not something you can avoid," he said.

Had Gilliver considered stepping away from fencing, he at least has a business to fall back on, an antique shop in Bath, southwest England, that specialises in World War I and World War II artefacts. "Ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved history, and I think it’s quite important to have something on the side alongside sport," he said. "Because I think sport can really be all-consuming. You train long hours, so much more than 9-5 ever would be. You get home and you’re still just obsessed about it and you just can’t stop thinking about how to make yourself better and better."

Gilliver, who began fencing in 2010 as his mobility declined, has a broad interest in historical memorabilia beyond just war artefacts. "I think the beauty about history is it’s all about different stories and you can pick different sections," he explained. "I think even with that, it’s a never-ending maze, there’s always something interesting."

Among his discoveries was an original, unpublished photograph of the ill-fated Titanic, found among some military postcards. However, Titanic memorabilia collectors will likely be disappointed if they hope to acquire it. "I’m still holding onto it and likely to for a very long time," he said, laughing.