December 2, 2021, by Habbi Liton

International Day of Persons with a Disability: Tim Jeffery

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December 2021) is an international campaign which aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

At UoN Sport, we have decided to celebrate today by catching up with notable athletes with a disability who have been associated with University of Nottingham Sport.

In this blog, we catch up with the amazing Tim Jeffery. Tim is a former student of the University of Nottingham, who recently was a triple finalist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics!

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself, your sport and your achievements within that sport?

I’m a full-time rifle shooter, competing for Paralympics GB at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, I shoot 3 events at 2 different distances, 2 indoor and 1 outdoor, the distances are 10m and 50m. Shooting is a very mentally demanding and technical sport, requiring great body control and very precise fine motor skills as the 10 we’re aiming at is 0.5mm at 10m.

I’ve won multiple world cup gold medals, as well as world championship team gold medals, I was a triple finalist out in Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympics.

How did you get involved with your sport?

I got involved in shooting through the scout association when I was 11, I was a very small 11 year old and the rifle was probably as long as I was tall, as well as being fairly heavy, I was told I could have a go but would likely find it very difficult, from that moment I was determined to show them just how capable I was and still do with every shot I take to this day.

Can you please describe some of the challenges you’ve faced in your sport and how you’ve been able to overcome or deal with them?

I’ve struggled with creating tailor made equipment to suit myself as in para-sport no one size fits all, it can be a lot of trial and error to find what works best. I’ve also struggled in the past working with various coaches, this I found was best remedied by clear, open, and honest conversations between the various parties to come to a mutually beneficial understanding of how best to move forward.

Describe your experience with sport at university:

I found sport at UoN very open and inclusive, always happy to support me in anyway I needed, I always felt comfortable and at home when I was training or competing for the green and gold.

What is your best memory from sport at the University?

Either being able to train alongside numerous different athletes from various sports in the incredible high-performance training area or, representing UoN at BUCS nationals and winning them a medal.

What do you feel was most instrumental to your success?

Time management, allowing enough time to work, train and be able to rest and recover afterwards.

Is there any advice you’d like to give to any young athletes, specifically those with disabilities?

 Never let anything hold you back, if you’ve got a question ask, if you need help ask, if you’ve got a dream strive for that dream everyday, and never underestimate the power of rest and recovery.

Get Involved at UoN Sport

We have been working with a number of sports and clubs at the University, to develop their offer for students with disabilities, long term or mental health conditions. You can out more about our inclusive sport sessions here.

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