A PARALYMPIAN in training will be holding a competition this Saturday to mark the start of the new year and raise awareness of the sport boccia.

Tia Ruel, who previously won a Pride of Bracknell award celebrated her recent success in achieving two bronze medals at a competition in Slovakia.

The 21-year-old from Wokingham is a member of the Boccia England Squad and is also part of the Great Britain squad transition programme.

She said: "I've decided to run a competition to start the new year off with a positive, upbeat attitude and to enjoy a friendly yet competitive environment with friends from the boccia community."

Boccia is a paralympic sport designed specifically for athletes with a disability affecting locomotor function.

The aim of the sport is to throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court with the aim of getting it closest to a 'jack' ball.

Finchampstead Baptist Centre will be holding the event on Saturday, January 5 where competitors from BC1- 4 classifications are invited to play in a friendly match.

Several of Tia's England team mates are taking part, along with one member from the Great Britain squad who will be using the event as a warm up for the start of the 2019 season.

The competition will also be refereed by former Boccia England and Great Britain squad manager Barry Bowden, who led Team GB at the London 2012 Paralympic games.

Tia hopes to make this a yearly competition.