Claire Taggart

Started: She began playing boccia in 2013 at Ballygally Hall in Larne, Northern Ireland. (belfasttelegraph.co.uk, 07 Sep 2016; dsni.co.uk, 01 Jan 2014) Reason: She was introduced to the sport by her friend Talia McDowell. She had previously playing wheelchair rugby. "I was not very sporty as a child but when I developed my impairment at around the age of 16 I thought I better get involved in something to get me out of the house. A local [boccia] club was set up and I just went along. I was still playing wheelchair rugby at the time and loved the fast adrenaline of the rugby but as my disability progressed I knew that my future wasn't going to be in rugby. So I invested more of my time in boccia." (SportNI YouTube channel, 28 Jan 2019; dsni.co.uk, 01 Jan 2014) Ambition: To win a medal at the Paralympic Games. (marypeterstrust.org, 11 Feb 2022) Awards: She was named the 2019 Sportsperson of the Year and the 2019 Sportsperson with an Impairment at the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Sports Awards in Northern Ireland. (ballymenadaily.com, 05 Mar 2020) Additional Info: OCCUPATION She designs and sells notebooks, badges, and postcards through her online business, Nifty Notebooks. "Everyone knows a self-confessed stationery addict, and I'd be the first to admit that I'm one myself. It's something different from boccia and I can work on it while I'm away from home at camps or competing too. For me, it's important to have something to occupy my mind and my time away from the boccia court. All I need is my iPad and my iPad pencil to make my designs, then I do all the production, packing and posting when I return. The business has taken over my house. There are printers and machines everywhere and I have orders worldwide, but I wouldn't have it any other way." (Instagram profile, 25 Jan 2024; paralympics.org.uk, 04 Mar 2021; Nifty Notebooks 11 Facebook page, 24 Sep 2020; etsy.com, 31 Dec 2019) OTHER ACTIVITIES In January 2021 she was appointed to the British Paralympic Association [BPA] Athletes' Commission. She has also worked as a disability access officer for Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] Premiership club Larne. "It's an opportunity to champion access for all, from wheelchair spaces in the stands, to ear defenders for people with sensory impairments, and that's something I'm very passionate about. I want to make Larne the most accessible football club in Northern Ireland; for everyone to feel welcome, part of the crowd, and a valued member of the community. I may not have been a football fan before, but I'd like to think I am now." (paralympics.org.uk, 04 Mar 2021; britishathletics.org.uk, 11 Dec 2020) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied forensic psychology with The Open University in Great Britain. (bbc.com, 27 May 2020)

Sporting Relatives: Her mother Maggie has served as her sports assistant at competitions. (boccia2017santcugat.com, 01 Jan 2017)