James Roberts

1. Tell us about yourself and your journey to the Paralympics?

My story starts off a little differently to most other disabled athletes. I was born with a congenital disability called femoral dysplasia of the left leg; also known as Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) or as Congenital Femoral Deficiency (CFD). Its a rare, non-hereditary birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the proximal femur. I first started out at an able-bodied swimming club whilst I was living in S.H.A.P.E (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), Belgium. I started quite late as a swimmer, only taking up the sport at 11. It was one of my coaches that who asked me, “why don’t you try disabled swimming”, I was probably taken aback by that comment, as I thought “why would I compete with disabled people when I am able within reason to compete with my able-bodied peers.” Maybe it was me being a typical teenager and not wanting to conform or maybe as I see it now looking back at it, perhaps I was looking down on disability sport. I only got involved in disability sport in 2002 at the age of 16. But, I do believe that it was the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, that was the springboard to what would be my future career as a Paralympic athlete. The story goes, it was our last opportunity to become involved in the Welsh swimming programme. So, my mother went to the bottom of the temporary stands and shouted ‘Is anybody there from Welsh Swimming?' Then the head coach Alan Isles came over to chat to us. It is also a story Alan would relate to other people. Disability Sport Wales opened up a totally new world to me with highs and lows along the way. It was quite a quick rise from only starting out in disability sport in 2002, then by 2003 having already broken into the British Swimming’s Potential Squad.

However, by the Christmas of 2005 I had been dropped from the programme. I went home thinking; after the holidays I’m going to be going back to university and become a normal student, but our Performance Director at Disability Sport Wales (DSW) Anthony Highest had other ideas. He asked me if I would like to try rowing, I excepted the challenge with probably a bit of reluctance, but as you say the rest is history and in short I went on to compete at 3 world championships and finished 5th in the final of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, possibly finally fulfilling some of the potential I'd shown during my swimming career. The 2009 season began and there was talk of me being reclassified. I had a meeting with the Head Coach of GB Adaptive Rowing Thomas Dyson, DSW Performance Director Anthony Hughes, then Head Coach of the Welsh Rowing, Ian Shore and my club coach at City of Swansea RC to discuss the implications of the reclassification. In short, it was to be my last season with GB Rowing, but both the team and I did our utmost to go out with a bang and to try and finish with a medal at the 2009 World Championships in Poznan, Poland. Sadly, it turned out not to be, the boat, however, went under the previous world best time, scant consolation when you've been beaten by 4 other crews on the day.

We go full circle again but this time I was in the final year of my Sports Science degree at Swansea University, I was wanting to solely concentrate on my degree and possibly dabble with the sport at the university to keep me sane. With the London Paralympics only 3 years away at this point, I was asked if would I give sitting volleyball a go. I’m 100% certain now looking back at it, that subconsciously I never wanted to put my sport on hold until I'd finished my degree. It was a bit more of a waiting game with volleyball than had been the case with rowing. However, to my surprise at the time, I receive an unexpected call-up to the World Championships in Edmund, Oklahoma. I jumped at another opportunity to represent my country, then the team were looking at going full time and be based at Roehampton University in London. I’d had to make that same decision 4 years previously with rowing about moving, but this time was a little bit easier as I had fewer factors to consider and 2008 had turned out to be a great decision as I was selected to represent GB in the Paralympics.

2. You have competed in swimming, rowing, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. Have you considered taking up any other sports and would you aim for another Paralympics with it?

I did try my hand at kayaking at the same time I started wheelchair basketball with the aim of trying to compete at Rio 2016, but injury put a stop on that. So I have been content with playing basketball at a domestic level here in the UK with North Wales Knights as well as more recently as of 2019, being part of the Welsh 3 x 3 wheelchair basketball squad preparing for the 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham.

3. Where is your favourite place sport has taken you?

That is a really difficult question to answer, as sport has given me the opportunity to visit so many memorable places. But if I had to choose just one I would have to say Munich, Germany because it holds so many memories (from my 2nd Rowing World Champs in 2007, 2009 Rowing World Cup Win, which we went from being left at the start to being first by the 250 m mark. As the team manager said “it is the fastest I have ever seen a crew go through an entire field” to my many years spent with my base swim team SHAPE Seals at the annual European Force Swim League European Champs from 2002 until 2005).

4. Why is it important for people to take part in disability sports?

I would have to say not just for the benefits of the physical, but also the emotional, social and psychological aspect disability sports bring to that individual by making them feel that they are not the only one having to deal with a disability. But not forgetting it also allows that person to forget about their disability during the duration of a training session and be judged on their ability instead.

5. How important is it for volunteers to get involved in disability sport?

Without volunteers sport can’t operate, and disability sports are no different.

6. What are your goals for the next 5 years?

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think these types of questions are too broad and the future is full of uncertainties at the best of times. But I would have to say to help more people, be it with my Podcast - The Mindset Athlete, and with business concept The A.M.P Method (Adapt, Master, Prove), through James Roberts Fitness.

7. If someone reading this is interested in taking up, what advice would you give them?

Do it! You won’t regret doing it.

8. How much of an impact does the media have in raising the awareness of disability sport and what could be better?

Massively, as its only really in the spotlight every 4 years with the Paralympics, except for the occasional World Champs here and there in certain sports. What could be better, and I think the sports themselves are taking the initiative on this. They are starting for example, using wheelchair basketball to showcase the Premiership games online via the clubs.

9. What is the biggest sacrifice you have made to achieve your goals?

My social life was almost non-existent, and I think people forget that about athletes. They only see the achievements we accomplish but don’t stop to think how much we have to give up to achieve the goals we set out to achieve to climb that ladder that we call sport.

10. What is the The Mindset Athlete Podcast and how can people listen to it?

Each week on the Mindset Athlete Podcast, we bring you an inspiration athlete, message or expert talking about human optimisation to teach you how to change the perception of your mindset and become 1% better. People can listen on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and anywhere else they listen to podcasts.