Ealing fencer Coutya has his eyes on Rio 2016
Ealing teenager Dimitri Coutya says his sights are firmly set on Rio after the silver medal-winning performance at last month’s Wheelchair Fencing World Championships.
Coutya, who has just turned 18, claimed the runners-up spot in the men’s category B foil event, having run China’s world number one Daoliang Hu close in the final, losing 15-12.
Now, he wants to transfer that form to next year’s Paralympics, having trained with the Team GB squad at London 2012.
He said: “I had the chance to watch the fencing and seeing the lights, hearing the cheers and feeling the atmosphere in that arena first-hand was incredible.
“What drives me now is the feeling that I can really achieve something wonderful.
“All the training and competitions I go through are geared towards the Paralympics next summer.
“There are two things on my mind when I am set to compete – the first being to focus on the next fight and winning it, and the other is to constantly remind myself that everything I do goes towards reaching Rio and getting a medal.”
Coutya combines training four evenings a week with studying for A-levels in biology, chemistry and modern history, with the ambition of studying psychology at university.
He was proud of his achievements at the World Championships and grateful for the support of youth sports charity SportsAid, who named him as their athlete of the month for his performances in Hungary.
He said: “It’s been a dream of mine to be up there competing at that level. It’s such a prestigious competition – the best there is other than the Paralympics.
“Daoliang Hu is considered to be a fencing legend – he’s not lost a fight since 2011. He was the guy I wanted to beat from the outset.
“SportsAid has helped me a lot, mainly with international competitions, and the finances have covered different equipment costs.
“My friends and family are essential in everything I do. My parents have sacrificed so much time driving me to hard-to-reach places and they give me the platform and belief to be able achieve.”
SportsAid needs help to ensure talented athletes like Dimitri can continue receiving the support they rely on. To donate text ‘NEXT01 £5’, ‘NEXT01 £10’ or as much as you can give to 70070.
