Cambridge Regional College Sports student, Thomas Smith is preparing to compete at the Para-Powerlifting World Cup in Manchester, March 2021.

February 17, 2021

After being spotted by a talent scout and spending hours in the gym training for this moment, Tom received the welcome news that he had been selected to represent Team GB in the 2021 Para-Powerlifting World Cup. The opportunity to compete at this qualifying event will support Tom on his journey to represent Great Britain in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Paralympics.

Tom had a keen interest in sports from a very young age and at the age of 9, he joined the Dwarf Sports Association, and it was at this point that Tom started to get involved in competitive sports.

Throughout his secondary education, Tom continued to compete in sports, where his natural ability was soon spotted by a sports talent scout. The opportunity steered Tom towards competitive para-powerlifting, a passion that continues to grow as he moves further up the ladder towards becoming an elite athlete.

Upon completing his secondary education, Tom enrolled with Cambridge Regional College to study Sports and has spent the last three years working his way up from the BTEC L2 to L4 HNC, all while training and competing in para-powerlifting. Tom has a long-term aim to see his studies through to a full degree after which he plans to pursue a career in Sports and Performance Analysis.

Tom said: “I chose to study at Cambridge Regional College because the three-day study programme allowed me to achieve my qualification while keeping on track with my Para Powerlifting training. This became even more important when considering my higher-level studies, as I was starting to work towards qualifying for the 2024 Paralympic Games. The courses offered me the flexibility I needed to train whilst providing me with the opportunity to fulfil my academic ambitions.”

The World Cup takes place from Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 March 2021.