COCKBILL Ryan

Classification
SH2 (IPC, 05 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (expressandstar.com, 22 May 2015)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (expressandstar.com, 22 May 2015)

Impairment Details
In 2006 he sustained a compression fracture of his spine after diving into a paddling pool at a garden party at his friend's house. His injuries resulted in tetraplegia. (expressandstar.com, 22 May 2015, 01 Nov 2013; trct.uk.com, 28 Apr 2011)

General
COVID-19 IMPACT
To ensure he was still able to train during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he and his father built a range in his house, which saw him shoot from his bathroom, through his bedroom and into a small shed. "Next to my patio door is a small window. We figured out we could connect a large air-ducting pipe to a small shed and replace the window with a panel. We used a laser target system to shoot through the window which proved it would work. It was a no-brainer. Once we figured out how to do it, we wanted to get it up as soon as possible so I didn't lose any training time. The home range has given me a chance to adapt my rifle for me. Now we are getting some really good results on the ranges too, so it has made a massive difference. I was able to use the time last year [2020] to experiment in different positions and with different adaptions on my rifle too, to help make things even more accurate, as well as easier in terms of accessibility as I have limited dexterity in my hands, which limits what I can do. My home range will probably be there in the background even when we are back to normal, although I prefer to travel away to training as we are used to being away for competitions; it gets you in the right frame of mind. Having my daily commute to my bathroom to shoot is completely different, but it has helped me maximise my time." (paralympics.org.uk, 13 Jan 2021)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as an ambassador for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity in England. (midlandsairambulance.com, 05 Dec 2014)