With the Paris Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we are catching up with some of the Paralympics GB visually impaired athletes who will be competing out in Paris with the hope of winning some medals too.

At the home of British Rowing in Caversham just outside Reading and on the edge of the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Paralympics GB visually impaired rower Sam Murray who will be competing in Paris in the new PR3 mixed double sculls boat class with Annie Caddic.

Rowing in this new event will see Sam fulfil a Paralympic aspiration that started at a talent identification event back in 2007 where he was first noted as a potential rower. 

Sam and Annie have rowed together since 2023 and were recently crowned European champions.

Sam tells Toby about how he got into rowing, being inspired by tales of his Great Grandfather who was a Thames Lighterman, how he and Annie feel coming into the Paris Games as European Champions in this new boat class, how rowing in the mixed double sculls differs from the mixed coxed four and how it works on the boat between him and Annie.

To find out more about the Paris Paralympic Games do visit the official games website - https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games

Image shows Sam stood with the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake behind him wearing a navy team GB t shirt with his arms folded looking towards the camera