William Bayley

Started: He began playing table tennis at about age seven. (Facebook page, 16 Mar 2017) Reason: His grandmother bought him a table tennis table to help distract him from his cancer treatment and to help with his recovery. "My grandma bought me a table, and I fell in love with it, it was the only sport I could beat my brother in. I thought, 'I'm going to carry on with this'. It's weird really, it's like it was meant to be. It's strange to think what I would have been doing if it wasn't for that [cancer], because table tennis is my life." (skysports.com, 10 Jul 2023; Facebook page, 16 Mar 2017; bbc.co.uk, 27 Sep 2013) Ambition: To win a gold medal in singles at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (kentonline.co.uk, 28 Feb 2024; LinkedIn profile, 27 Nov 2023) Awards: He was named 2023 Male Para Player of the Year by the International Table Tennis Federation [ITTF]. (kentonline.co.uk, 28 Feb 2024) In 2022 he was named Sports Personality of the Year at the Sussex Sports Awards in England. (willbayleytt.co.uk, 25 Nov 2022) He was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2017 New Year Honours list. (skysports.com, 10 Jul 2023) In 2016 he received the Bill McGowran Trophy, awarded for excellence in Para sport, from the Sports Journalists' Association. (britishparatabletennis.com, 05 Aug 2019) He was voted European Players' Player of the Year in 2011. (willbayleytt.com, 31 Oct 2011) Additional Info: STRICTLY COME DANCING In 2019 he took part in British competition television show 'Strictly Come Dancing', but was forced to drop out of the show after suffering a knee injury in rehearsals. "We were doing the jive. It was my favourite dance. I was absolutely buzzing. I just remember jumping from the table, landing and hearing my knee pop. I looked at it and screamed. I thought I'd broken it. When the physio examined it and said it wasn't broken I went home to rest, determined to dance on Saturday, I'm used to pain. The next day the physio was there when [dance partner] Janette and I went into the rehearsal room. I did two steps and my knee dropped to the floor. The physio said, 'You're not going to be able to dance this week'. I called mum. I was saying, 'My knee's not good. I just know it. It's not going to be better next week or ever'. I was in tears." (bbc.co.uk, 24 Apr 2020; dailymail.co.uk, 02 Nov 2019) OTHER ACTIVITIES He has served as an ambassador for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity in London, England. "Having spent the first decade of my life in and out of Great Ormond Street Hospital, it is my turn to give something back. Training commitments permitting, I love visiting the children and taking part in fundraising activities. Overcoming the cancer and the disability has made me a better sportsman, and more determined to be successful." (LinkedIn profile, 27 Nov 2023; skysports.com, 10 Jul 2023) COACHING He has coached youth players at Brighton Table Tennis Club in England. (LinkedIn profile, 27 Nov 2023; Instagram profile, 08 Sep 2023)