A FORMER Ninja Warrior contestant from Wirral has been selected to represent Great Britain in the Paralympic games.
Mat Armitage from Hoylake has been announced as one of the athletes who have been named as part of the GB Paraclimbing Team for the 2024 season. The 23-strong team consists of athletes competing across nine classifications.
The 33-year-old suffered life-changing injuries after he came off his motorbike in July 2018 while riding in Wales which meant he had to have his right leg amputated.
Mat then became the first ever amputee to beat the wall in ITV’s Ninja Warrior UK – Race for Glory in September 2022.
READ: Former Ninja Warrior contestant battles horror injuries after motorbike crash
Jon Garside, GB Climbing’s acting Head of Performance, said: “We’re delighted to be working with a squad that is filled with both emerging and highly seasoned talent.
“Our para team are fantastic ambassadors for sport climbing, and we look forward to our team taking to the world stage in 2024.”
Mat’s debut competition will take place in Salt Lake City in May for the first round of the World Cup of Paraclimbing.
The team will be supported by a volunteer coaching team, including, Jay Jackson, Jamie Vardy, Suzan Dudnik, Anna Brown, and Richard Slocock.
Zoe Spriggins, the BMC’s Para team manager, said: “We are now less than six months away from the Innsbruck World Cup, which will see us field our biggest team of the season.
“This event will be an opportunity for our emerging talent to experience a competition environment on an international stage, and also for us to gauge how other nations are performing.
“Since 2006, international para competition has really grown on the world stage. We eagerly await the outcome of inclusion in the LA 2028 Paralympics, and we hope to hear a decision by the end of May.
“For us, we remain dedicated to developing and strengthening the opportunities afforded to our athletes.”
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