Wells, winner of two individual silver and a team Para-dressage gold at London 2012, and mixed coxed four rowing champion Smith were joined at the camp by judo bronze medal winner Ben Quilter and archer Mel Clarke, who followed up a bronze at Beijing 2008 with silver in 2012.

The camp at the University of Bath brought together almost 100 aspiring Paralympians from 11 different sports and included canoe and triathlon, new sports on the programme for Rio 2016.

Following on from similar successful camps held ahead of London 2012 and Beijing 2008, the initiative is designed for aspiring Paralympic athletes to give them an understanding of the pressures of a Games environment.

"This is a really valuable opportunity for all of the athletes as it provides a really great insight into what it's like to be in a multi-sport environment at Games time and how to really thrive in it," said Wells, who won World Championship gold in Kentucky in 2010 in both individual and freestyle events.

"I remember being really nervous when I attended my first camp, but I really benefited from it.

"The experience helped me to feel more comfortable as the Games approached, and I hope that the athletes will leave here feeling more confident that they will know what to expect if they qualify for Rio or Tokyo [2020]."

London 2012 gold medal winner Sophie Wells was passing on advice to young British Paralympic hopefuls at the Rio 2016 camp in Bath ©Getty Images

























The camp was the first in a number of three-day camps being run by the BPA in the build-up to Rio 2016 and the focus was less on training on more on simulating a Games environment for young athletes hoping to be a part of their first major international multi-sport event in Brazil.

"The first ParalympicsGB Potentials Camp marks a key point in the Rio cycle and I'm delighted with the response that we have received from this group of athletes and our national governing bodies (NGBs)," BPA director of sport Penny Briscoe said.

"A lot of the sessions here have been aimed at familiarising athletes with the unique environment they will experience if they are selected.

"There is so much to take in at the Games and it is really vital that our athletes can just focus on delivering the personal best performances that they have trained so hard for.

"There may be a long road ahead, but this is a really positive first step in ensuring that we are best prepared for Rio."

Rising table tennis star Jack Hunter-Spivey was one of the athletes taking part in the camp and attended workshops and talks run by BPA staff, consultants, external experts and partner organisations, such as UK Anti Doping.

"The camp went really well," said the 18-year-old athlete, part of the British squad at last year's European Championships in Lignano.

"I felt I learnt a lot from the experience and definitely feel more motivated heading into the new year.

"I mixed with lots of people from many different sports, which I found really useful.

"It was really good to find out how other sports train and compete and what training techniques they use.

"It has really opened my eyes to see how I can use that in my training to help me progress.

"The highlight of the camp for me was getting to meet athletes that have won medals in a Paralympic Games and getting to ask them about their experiences and how they deal with certain aspects of being an athlete.

"I feel like I have had a real insight into how to become the best athlete I can be."

Ben Quilter was also in attendance at the BPA Rio 2016 multisport preparation camp ©Getty Images



























The University of Bath was the base for the majority of the British athletes in the weeks leading into London 2012, which saw Britain win 120 medals in total, 34 of which were gold.

"The University of Bath was proud and delighted to host the British Paralympic Association's first multi-sport preparation camp of the Rio cycle," said Stephen Baddeley, director of sport at the University.

"It's always inspirational to see current and future British Paralympic athletes training here.

"We value our close relationship with the BPA and we look forward to working with them to make sure the next camp will be every bit as successful as this one and the camps the University of Bath hosted in the lead up to London 2012."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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