Shauna Bocquet

Started: She took up the sport at age eight in 2012. (Paralympics Ireland TikTok profile, 08 Oct 2023; Wheelchair Racing Ireland Facebook page, 10 May 2017) Reason: "I was playing wheelchair basketball up in Dublin and someone said to me I should try wheelchair racing. I went to one of the tryout days and I tried it and I loved it, and I haven't looked back since." (Paralympics Ireland TikTok profile, 08 Oct 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (independent.ie, 09 Dec 2023) Additional Info: NEW TRACK In order so that she could have better training facilities, in 2020 she and her parents initiated a fundraising drive to have a new athletics track built at her club, Craughwell AC in Ireland. She completed a marathon distance on a 5km road loop, and other local people also did fundraising challenges. Their efforts raised 50,000 euros that contributed to the cost of the track, which opened in 2023. "[The village's old track] wasn't a full size, it was gravel, the bends weren't the right shape and there was an uphill and downhill. The dirt also got into the wheels and the chair. It's great for me to be able to train on a proper track, but it's also great for the whole Craughwell club. All the other athletes are going to improve, too, because the track is there for everyone now." (independent.ie, 09 Dec 2023)