WILL BAYLEY MBE
In January 2017 Will was awarded an MBE for services for Table Tennis; as a result he joins a small group of individuals recognised for dedicating a significant proportion of their lives to promoting, developing, supporting and playing Table Tennis. Will's journey began in Poole in Dorest, and in the winter of 1988, Will's parents were trying to understand a new word "Arthrogyposis".
In January 2017 Will was awarded an MBE for services for Table Tennis; as a result he joins a small group of individuals recognised for dedicating a significant proportion of their lives to promoting, developing, supporting and playing Table Tennis. Will's journey began in Poole in Dorest, and in the winter of 1988, Will's parents were trying to understand a new word "Arthrogyposis".
ARTHUR WHO?
Arthrogryposis [AR-THROW-GRY-PO-SIS] is a big word for a small baby but it’s one that Will Bayley would become familiar with from a very early age. William John Bayley was born in January 1988 in Poole, Dorset. and even before he was born, Will’s parents already knew their baby would be born with arthrogryposis, a rare congenital disorder that was to affect all four of his limbs. |
Will’s feet were splinted from birth and at three months old Will underwent his first major operation, which was to see him in plaster for several months. Many more reconstruction operations were to follow at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), under the direction of the late John Fixsen, a world renowned paediatric orthopaedic surgeon.
By the age of three, and with the aid of magic Pedro boots and a frame, Will was, at last, able to walk. During these early years Will was always happy, but also full of courage and determination, as he faced numerous operations on his limbs. The family moved to Groombridge, in Kent, in 1993 and both Will and his brother joined the local primary school - St Thomas’.
By the age of three, and with the aid of magic Pedro boots and a frame, Will was, at last, able to walk. During these early years Will was always happy, but also full of courage and determination, as he faced numerous operations on his limbs. The family moved to Groombridge, in Kent, in 1993 and both Will and his brother joined the local primary school - St Thomas’.
THE C WORD
At the age of seven, Will became unwell and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and began a six-month course of chemotherapy at the now very familiar Great Ormond Street Hospital. Treatments for lymphoma were under development at that time, and Will was one of just ten children enrolled onto a clinical trial for the now commonly used chemotherapy agent, vincristine.
At the age of seven, Will became unwell and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and began a six-month course of chemotherapy at the now very familiar Great Ormond Street Hospital. Treatments for lymphoma were under development at that time, and Will was one of just ten children enrolled onto a clinical trial for the now commonly used chemotherapy agent, vincristine.
Unable to play any contact sport due to his ‘Hickman line’, which was used to administer his chemotherapy, Will’s Grandmother bought him a table tennis table. Quickly Will discovered he was quite good at table tennis and it was the one sport at which he could beat his older brother. At the age of 11, Will joined Byng Hall Table Tennis Club in Tunbridge Wells where he continued to improve through his dedication to training and gaining match practice by entering competitions each week. By the age of 16 Will was representing Kent men’s team of able-bodied players, in the Kent league, as his table tennis continued from strength to strength.
Will currently trains at the English Institute for Sport (EIS) in Sheffield. As well as the challenging training regime needed to maintain his status as a world class Paralympic athlete, Will spends much of his spare time working both locally and nationally in providing motivational speaking for sports and industries as well as presenting in schools, and supporting a number of charitable concerns. In addition he acts as an ambassador for a number of organisations including The Commonwealth Games 2018, Kent Sports Trust and Pepenbury. He is also keen to promote awareness of his own condition, arthrogryposis