Ryan Cockbill looking on the bright side

“One of my biggest idols has been Roger Federer. He is always so calm and collective. Even in his losses, he tries to maintain that calmness and follows the same process. I try to imitate him with the discipline in my training and in my shooting."

Great Britain shooter Ryan Cockbill barely remembers the summer of 2006 which changed his life completely. An accident, while he was attempting a “belly flop” dive at a post-exams garden party, left him paralysed. But he prefers to think about the positive side.

“It gave me the opportunity to travel the world and do something better in my career like shooting. I feel lucky for being able to do this. I started the sport as a hobby and now I am pursuing it as a full-time career. So, if that accident hadn’t have happened, I wouldn’t be here today,” said the 28-year-old.

Movies and television series are other interests that keep Cockbill busy when he is not at the shooting range.

“I am a movie buff and try to go to the cinemas every week. The post-apocalyptic horror TV series Walking Dead is one of my favourites,” he added.

Following Federer

A 2012 London Paralympian, Cockbill has been part of the Great Britain shooting team for almost a decade. He is now trying to bring in more discipline to his game and follow the example of tennis legend Roger Federer.

“One of my biggest idols has been Roger Federer. He is always so calm and collective. Even in his losses, he tries to maintain that calmness and follows the same process. I try to imitate him with the discipline in my training and in my shooting,” said Cockbill.

Looking back at the Al Ain World Cup, Cockbill celebrated bronze in the R4 (mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2) which secured a quota place at the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Qualifying in sixth place, Cockbill stayed in contention from the start in the final and was just 1.4 off competing for the silver and gold places. South Korea’s Geunsoo Kim finished first followed by France’s Tanguy de La Forest.

“The competition was good. The qualification was little bit tough and the scores were little lower than my average. But the final came through and I managed a medal, which is really good,” he said.