Krysten Coombs

Started: He began playing Para badminton at age 15 in 2005 at the Dwarf Sports Association in Great Britain. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024) Reason: He originally tried golf, swimming, football and was on the Great Britain Para table tennis team before finally settling on badminton. "I first got into badminton through school and the Dwarf Sports Association. I had some friends at school that went to a club, people did it at PE [physical education] and I also went to the Dwarf Sports Association every year as a national games and I think there was an opportunity once that we were able to take part in badminton. I gave it a go and loved it. I think I've always been very sporty and loved pretty much every sport I try. Badminton seemed to be the one that I could go further in." (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; tresamagazine.com, 23 Nov 2021; badmintoneurope.com, 06 Jan 2018) Ambition: To win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; Facebook profile, 10 Jun 2024) Additional Info: TELEVISION APPEARANCES In 2014 he appeared in an episode of the television show 'Game of Thrones'. He has also made appearances in 'The Witcher', another television series. "As I prepare to tackle my second Paralympics [in 2024 in Paris], I will be sure to not let the bright lights and increased number of eyes get the better of me, utilising my career outside of sport to handle the pressure. As an actor with credits in 'Game of Thrones', 'The Witcher' and an array of pantomimes, I know how to perform in front of the cameras. And with media presence at its peak during the Paralympics, I'll hope to use my cool exterior to my advantage as I strive for a place on the podium." (badmintonengland.co.uk, 16 Jul 2024; Instagram profile, 25 Jan 2024; badmintoneurope.com, 07 Oct 2020) OCCUPATION He has worked for Swedish furniture chain Ikea, and took a career break when he started receiving funding to play Para badminton. "Before I was funded, I was working at Ikea part-time and loved the team there. Part of their system is that people can take a career break, which I've done. It was really helpful. I really enjoyed the physical work involved, so the possibility of returning to the team and building a career there is something I've thought of. I have had generous funding from UK Sport, which has been really helpful and a real game-changer. I'd been self-funding since I first started going to international tournaments in 2008, so trying to balance training with work was difficult and the funding has made a huge difference to that. Now I can focus on badminton full-time and it is my actual job." (LinkedIn profile, 01 Nov 2020; badmintoneurope.com, 07 Oct 2020) OTHER STUDIES He studied for a foundation degree in sports development and coaching at the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, England, between 2009 and 2011. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; LinkedIn profile, 20 Jun 2024)