Will Bayley: Mum's the word for Paralympic champion

MANY sports fans will already know Will Bayley for dancing – on a table!

The 31-year-old hit the headlines three years ago when his Paralympic triumph in Rio sparked wild celebrations and saw him jump on to the table in delight.

That victory over home favourite Israel Pereira Stroh in the class 7 final was especially enjoyable following Will’s final loss in London four years earlier.

And the gold medallist is ready to party again after being in action as one of the 15 celebrities taking part in the 17th series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Following sprint star Jonnie Peacock and triathlon champion Lauren Steadman, Will is the latest Paralympian to face the Strictly judges.

In addition to taking on a new challenge, he admits that his mum played a part in his decision to sign up to the popular BBC show.

Speaking earlier this month ahead of the start of the latest series, Will told Agility: “I haven’t actually started my training yet, but I’m so excited and can’t wait for it to begin. It’s all starting to feel real now. I think, with my disability (arthrogryposis), balance will be a big challenge for me, that and the fear of dancing live on TV!

“Strictly is my mum’s favourite show! So many people watch it, don’t they? I think it’s great to be learning a new skill.”

So can Will’s sporting pedigree and competitive edge prove advantageous in the battle for the famous glitter ball trophy? “I think so,” he said. “I hope so! I don’t want to just settle for taking part, I want to do the best I can and give it everything I’ve got. I also don’t want to let my dance partner down.”

With less than a year until the 2020 Paralympic Games, Will remains focused on the day job too. Recently back in competitive action at the European Para Table Tennis Championships, he believes that his Rio 2016 experience will stand him in good stead.

He added: “Every day I think about Tokyo 2020. Table tennis is a massive part of my life, and it would be a dream come true to go and retain my title.

“When you’ve done it before, you know you can do it. I know I can and just want to get there and do it. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m really happy with my game. This season has been amazing so far. Table tennis is an unpredictable sport, but I won gold at the Italian, Slovenian and Japan Opens and have regained the world number one ranking in my class so everything is going really well.

“Retaining my Paralympic title would mean everything to me.”•