Paralympian Ash returns to table tennis

Two-time Paralympian Ashley Facey, who left British Para Table Tennis after the Tokyo Paralympics to pursue a new career in cycling, has returned to the sport she fell in love with as an 11-year-old growing up in East London.

The 27-year-old first joined the BPTT Performance Squad in 2009 and represented his country at the World and European Championships as well as the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics.

He decided to trade his ping pong racket for a bicycle after discovering his passion for cycling during the 2020 lockdown, when he decided to stay in Sheffield to focus on his fitness rather than return to his home in London after training was suspended due to the pandemic. .

“I’ve missed Para table tennis and wanted to get back,” said Facey, who reached a career-high world No. 8 in Men’s Grade 9 in 2018. Switching to cycling has made me realize how much I still love and miss table tennis. competing and training as a table tennis player.

“They say absence makes the heart beat, and table tennis has certainly done that for me. I still love cycling, but as a hobby, not as a sport to compete as an elite athlete.

“I feel like in this world we’re not allowed to make mistakes or challenge ourselves, but I did and I knew it wasn’t for me. I am so happy and very blessed to be a part of BPTT again.

BPTT Performance Director Gorazd Vecko said: We are delighted that Ashley has made the decision to return to table tennis. He’s always been a very talented athlete and part of our BPTT family, so it’s great to have him back on our team.

– After Tokyo, he felt he needed a new challenge, but taking time away from table tennis has strengthened his commitment to the sport. I know she is working harder than ever to get the best possible results and I look forward to seeing what she achieves in the future.