Paralympian David Weir launches partnership with St Mary’s University

The next generation of Paralympians will now be able to train at St Mary’s University.

The university launched the partnership with the Weir-Archer academy which provides coaching expertise to disabled athletes.

The academy is run by six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir and his coach Jenny Archer.

Some of the athletes have already been benefitting from the facilities at St Mary’s.

Archer said: “Last year young Dillon [Labrooy], who is a GB athlete, since he’s been coming here for strength and conditioning he’s improved no end.”

Weir added the reason he set the academy up was because there was a lack of talent coming through from the grassroots.

He said: “If I stop winning medals, who else is coming through?

“When I was a kid there were so many races to do in the country – it was thriving, there were over 200 races in Great Britain and we’d do races all round the country and it was dying and I was getting quite scared for the country.”

Despite Weir’s retirement on the track, this new partnership could spell the start of a new era for Team GB’s wheelchair racing medal hopefuls.

Featured image: Tom Meehan.