THE Paris 2024 Paralympic Games officially launched this week, and one Cumbrian team that will be keeping a close eye on Team GB in France is the Penrith Pumas.
Since launching in 2020, the wheelchair rugby side have enjoyed huge growth on and off the court, attracting top-quality players from across Cumbria and further afield.
Spearheaded by managing director Megan Fearnley, the Pumas have found a taste for success and are hoping to see one of their own representing GB at a future Paralympic Games.
Speaking to the News & Star, Megan explained how the club has become so popular since its inception just four years ago.
She said: "We're heading into our fifth year. We're an all-inclusive, accessible club. Both men and women can play on the same time. It doesn't matter what impairment you might have, we welcome anyone who has a physical impairment that makes it so that they cannot be involved in able-bodied sport.
"They can come along with family and friends for support and encouragement, but also for them to see the power of sport and the impact it has.
"It's a family here."
Despite running for a short time in comparison to other clubs, Penrith Pumas earned a promotion to the Championship, and finished in third place in their debut campaign at that level last season.
They have also trained alongside Stuart Robinson MBE, who won a gold in wheelchair rugby at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Megan added: "In 2022 we had a player recognised for role model of the year at the Diverse Cumbria awards. In 2023, we were the national wheelchair rugby fives League One winners.
"We finished third in the Championship, which is amazing for a team which has only been existent for four years."
Most recently, Penrith Pumas won a tournament in Sheffield organised by fellow gold medal winner Jamie Stead MBE.
One of their newest players, Oliver Wightman, who has only been with the club for four weeks, earned the Most Valuable Player award. He has subsequently been accepted on a 'pathway to podium' programme, which could see him feature in the Paralympics in the future.
But for now, Megan is just looking forward to the next few weeks of Paralympic action, which will see GB begin their title defence against Denmark on August 29 at 10.30am.
She said: "I'm so excited. We're still relatively new into the world of Paralympics. Great Britain are the reigning champions of the Paralympic title. So we're hoping to maintain that when we compete in Paris."
The club trains every Tuesday at Penrith Leisure Centre, and people are invited to get in contact via social media or the website.
Megan concluded: "Because we're based in Penrith, we're very central to Cumbria. We have people from the west coast and the south, as well as places in Scotland and the north east. We're always looking for support for people to help volunteer and play as well.
"Once you start, you instantly get accepted into this big family, where disability is accepted and there's no black sheep or elephant in the room.
"No matter what your impairment, age, gender, you name it - there's a place for everyone to be at our club."
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