Newcastle College Plastering Programme Lead, David Willis has been selected to join Team GB at the World Ball Hockey Legends Championship next month.
Played in converted ice rinks and sports halls as a variant of street hockey, ball hockey is a relatively new sport in the UK but is very well established in Canada where the tournament is being held in late August.
David found out about the sport from a friend who he had played ice hockey with before he had a life changing accident during a game. He explained: “I damaged my spinal cord playing ice hockey and had to learn how to walk again.
“I was told that even if I did get back up to full strength, I couldn’t play ice hockey anymore as I couldn’t risk another clash. I was gutted as I loved it. So, when my friend told me about ball hockey – a non-contact version of the game played in sports halls – I couldn’t wait to sign up!
“I've only been playing for about two years, so to be selected to represent Great Britain is just phenomenal!”
David plays with his local team in his spare time on evenings and weekends.