Lavender supports Paralympic dream
16/01/2012
.jpg)
Over the last 15 years, Lavender International has helped many different athletes to succeed in their chosen sports. From archery, cricket, football, golf, footpath running and gymnastics to motor racing, the list is continuing to grow. The company has now turned its help towards table tennis and is supporting 49 year-old paralympian star Farrel Anthony, who is trying to fulfill his dream of competing in the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Sheffield born and bred Farrel, who has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth, competed at the 2000 Sydney games and, after taking a break from the sport, is back fighting for that chance again. His drive and determination is never doubted and, as a self-sponsored athlete, he needs as much support as possible. Lavender International has contributed to help cover four tournament costs: the China Open, Copa Costa Rica, British Open in Sheffield and the Czech Open.
As a previous world champion, Farrel is not guaranteed automatic selection, even if he does make it into the top 16; it will be down to the governing body to decide who goes and who doesn’t. To make it even more of a challenge, Farrel competes in the most competitive category, number 7, alongside his GB team-mate Will Bayley, who is currently ranked number 2 in the world.
Farrel has two tournaments left, the Korean Open in November and the Argentinian Open in December, to try and gain as many points as possible in order to qualify for the London games. He is currently ranked 24th. Even though he isn’t a funded athlete, due to not fitting the criteria of UK Sport and Sport England funding policies, he still gets the opportunity to train daily with the GB squad at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
A late starter to the game, Farrel, having missed out on previous Paralympics due to work commitments, still has that fighting spirit. His qualifying competitions have been up and down, losing out in China but winning a bronze and gold medal in Costa Rica. This shows he still has the talent and drive to achieve. “We are proud to support Farrel in his goal,” said Steve Lavender.
