How para shooting helped transform Paul Barker's outlook

The para shooting community has helped Paul Barker in ways he could never have imagined.

A keen shooter for all his life, it was not until he was in his 30s that he took the plunge to join the British Shooting Pathway Programme.

That came following a childhood spent rifle shooting in his garden that gave him an early love for the sport, but the programme opened up a whole new community. It was there that he met other disabled people, with whom he could share his experiences both on and off the range.

His training group has become a second family in recent years, and he credits meeting other disabled people as key to boosting his confidence.

“The group of other athletes that I train and compete with, we are such a tight-knit group,” he said.

“We can openly talk about anything; it is really nice to be able to do that and have other people completely understand what I am going through.

“Everybody I am now competing with has similar conditions and it has been so good for my confidence and self-belief.

“I have become a totally different person, and it has helped change my outlook on everything in life.”

Paul’s early days shooting in his garden stemmed from a love of the armed forces inherited from his family.

While serving himself would not be possible for Paul, his dad and uncle ensured he came as close as he could from a young age.

He added: “I started shooting in the garden when I was seven. I was always really big into the army because of family connections but being disabled, there was no way I was going to be able to join any of the armed forces.

“I have got connections to the RAF through family. I had always wanted to get into one of the forces but as a young kid it was quite difficult for me to understand I wouldn’t be able to.

“My dad and my uncle decided to get me into air rifle shooting, and it turned out I was quite good at it. I joined a club about 20 years ago and then saw an advert in 2019 for a project that British Shooting were running called ‘Shooting for Paris’.

“My dad unfortunately went into a care home with dementia, I saw this advert and thought: ‘Do you know what? I am not going to delay it any longer’.

“This is something that my dad got me into, so I am going to really push for it now.”

For much of his life, the 40-year-old found it hard to come to terms with his disability after being born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus but being able to meet other para shooters transformed his outlook.

“I didn’t know many other disabled people prior to me joining the British Shooting pathway,” he added.

“That completely changed my life because I spent so many years being around able-bodied people and not really accepting my disability. It was such a relief to actually be around other people that had the same disability as myself and other disabilities.

“It has really helped me come out of my shell a lot more over the last five years. All my family and friends have really noticed my confidence go through the roof."

While Paul competes at a high level, he is also deeply embedded in grassroots and is determined to inspire the next generation. After growing up with little knowledge of what para sport could offer people like him, he is now intent on spreading the message far and wide.

He said: “Disability sport has really helped me over the last five years. Knowing how much it has changed my life, I try to pass that onto other people.

“I go down to Stoke Mandeville to help out with the LimbPower Games. When I was growing up, I didn’t really know about disability sport as a young kid in the 90s.

“I am always trying to encourage others, especially kids that come to these events. Even if it’s not shooting, just go and find a sport that you enjoy.”