A Sheffield athlete has received gold in the first world disability snooker championship in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gary Swift, 53, who was left wheelchair-bound after being electrocuted when he was 14, represented Great Britain in the championship in Nonthaburi , Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Swift said: \u201cNo person from Sheffield has ever won the championship , and this is the first ever disability one which has made it even more special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He placed all his pressure on the deciding pink ball after taking a 2-1 lead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201c When it came to the final I kept my focus , and had to be confident when I got chances , which I took well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Swift was paralysed after retrieving his football at the side of an electricity power station in Hackenthorpe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cWhen I went to retrieve the ball and although I had been in hundreds of times, I got too close to the cables and although I didn\u2019t touch a cable, I got too close. I had electricity jumps with 11000 volts which shot through my body, breaking a bone in my neck and leaving me paralyzed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In preparation for the tournament, Mr Swift trained six to seven hours at the Northern General Hospital and the Stephen Harrison Academy in Sheffield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cWhen it came closer to the championship I practised five to six times a week and received extra coaching. I would do drills , aiming to keep my cue\u2019s straight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Swift\u2019s biggest inspiration is his coach Stephen Harrison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said : \u201cWhen I was in hospital , Stephen\u2019s dad was a big name in snooker for winning gold in the 1988 Paralympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStephen set up academies for disabled snooker players in which he passes knowledge onto us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Swift currently runs free coaching for other disabled snooker players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cit is always better to get some coaching from someone who is disabled because if a professional snooker player gives us coaching, they tend to teach as if we are able bodied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoy getting other disabled people into sport.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Swift and his coach Stephen Harrison are attempting to get snooker back into the Paralympics, which dropped in 1988.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cMy biggest goal is to be in the 2030 Paralympics in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n