Simon says Paralympic gold ‘definitely do-able’

Simon Munn is preparing for his sixth Paralympic Games.

During the next 11 months Channel 4 News will be following the basketball player in the lead-up to 2012.

The 41-year old’s career began in Barcelona in 1992 and will likely end in London next year. He has won three Paralympic medals – a silver and two bronze.

Life would inevitably have been very different had Simon not decided to take a short cut home from the pub 22 years ago.

He was crossing a railway track when his foot got stuck in some points. He could do nothing but wait; wait for a train to sever his leg.

Simon smiles when he tells the story but does admit to Channel 4 News he finds it boring.

“I’ve been telling it for 22 years,” he explains.

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“It is an interesting story to other people. I don’t have any hang-ups about it and I’ll answer any questions, but to me it’s a boring story.

“I’ve seen the shock factor on people’s faces so many times and to me it’s old news.”

Simon remembers everything about the accident. When he woke up in intensive care he thought to himself “I’ve lost my leg – that’s it”.

He started playing basketball when one of his physiotherapists, whose husband played wheelchair basketball, “pestered” Simon to give it a go. It was love at first sight.

‘Dreaming of gold’

Simon was part of the British wheelchair basketball team which won a silver medal at the Atlanta Paralympics and bronze medals in Athens and Beijing.

Assuming all goes to plan Simon will be the first British wheelchair basketball player to compete in six Paralympic Games.

His basketball career started before some of his team-mates were born.

London 2012 will probably be Simon’s last chance to win sport’s ultimate prize: “I do dream of being on the podium and receiving a gold medal, it’s our home Olympics so to go out on a high like that would be fantastic.”

Simon is adamant the British team can win “if they turn up on the day”.

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They are currently playing at the European Championships in Israel and between now and London 2012 have a gruelling schedule.

“From January to the Paralympics we are going away once a month to play European teams mid-week, we’ll be going up and down the country playing inter-squad tournaments and the rest of the time will be taken up with league training.

“It’s a full-on schedule.”

But if the hours of training result in a Paralympic gold no one will be complaining.

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