PARALYMPIAN David Smith visited Kendal to promote boccia.

The Team GB player and two time Paralympic Gold Medal winner visited Kendal Leisure Centre and Cumbria Westmorland Federation of Women’s institute (WI).

The trip is to support the county's rapid growth of boccia in schools and WI village halls.

Boccia is a paralympic sport which is a target ball game similar to bowls. Players propel balls to land as close as possible to a white marker ball know as the jack.

On the visit David told school children and boccia players about his boccia journey playing at school and his call up to the England Team and finally Team GB.

David played in his first International at age 15 and was just 18 years old when GB won Team gold at the 208 Beijing Paralympics.

Since then he won Individual Silver at London 2012 and Gold at the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics. Most recently David won gold at the European Championship championships in Seville, Portugal at the end of November 2021.

Also attending Davids visit was Daniel Hopkins, a Kendal College sport studies student and boccia player, Daniel played some individual ends with David.

David then answered questions and there were opportunities for photographs and autographs.

The visit was in part organised by Anne Cradock, retired PE teacher and women's institute activities Co-ordinator.

Anne has known David since he was seven years old and watched him progress into the player he is today.

Anne said: "I have been involved in paralympic sports half of my PE career, we first met David at the Stoke Mandeville mini games so we have known him for a very long time and since i retired i have been a boccia official and i event went down to the 2021 Olympics so we know David very well."

Anne said: "Our thanks to David and his Sport Assistant Michael for travelling from Swansea to promote the fast growing sport of Boccia.

"Also to the staff of the leisure centre for marking the court, setting up the seating so supporting us so willingly."