Teenager Lowri Hurd has moved from the British Para Table Tennis Pathway Squad to the elite Performance Squad after an impressive debut season which has seen her challenge the best players in the world in women’s class 9 and take singles medals in Spain, Slovenia and Thailand.
“I’m really happy that I’ve been selected for the Performance squad,” said the 18-year-old (pictured above at the recent ITTF World Para Elite Spokane), “and I’m also really proud of myself because it shows that the hard work I’ve done so far is paying off.”
Hurd, whose mother Natasha Williams was Wales’ No 1 ranked woman table tennis player, won multiple Welsh national titles as a junior before being diagnosed with Myhre Syndrome, a rare multisystem progressive genetic connective tissue disorder.
“It’s been hard to adapt to Para,” she said, “as it’s a completely different game. It’s a bit slower and you have to place the ball a lot better compared to able bodied which is a lot faster.
“I’ve had some tough draws in the last few tournaments with the top Chinese player and the top Brazilian in my group. I lost to the Brazilian (Danielle Rauen) in the fifth and I’ve lost a few fifth-setters, but I beat (Alexa) Szvitacs and she is world and European champion, so it was a good feeling to beat her.
“I need to improve but I know I’m close to the top players – if I keep working hard hopefully it will all come together.”
Starting a degree in sports coaching at Hallam University in Sheffield this month will enable Hurd to train regularly with the British squad at the English Institute of Sport.
“It’s good to be training full time with the squad in Sheffield,” she said, “because there are a lot of Paralympic medallists in the hall so it is really good for me to learn how they train, what they do, how to be more professional and how to win Paralympic medals.
“The coaches are fantastic and really help me every session. It’s a good atmosphere in the hall – everyone is fully focused on training 100% each session, turning up early, doing everything right and it’s good for me to learn that so I can be the best like them.”
BPTT Interim Performance Director Shaun Marples is full of praise for the way in which Hurd has adapted to Para table tennis since her classification in March.
“Lowri has been brilliant,” he said. “She was pretty much thrown in at the deep end, but she responded really well, and she’s had a great year and got some great exposure to the Para game. Her classification in Spain was very positive, and we have bright hopes for her future.
“I think it is great that we can recognise the acceleration she has shown in her development, looking to move to Sheffield now to do her studies but also access the facilities at the EIS full time.
“She creates women’s and mixed doubles opportunities for us as well as singles which is really good for the team. I think she is a brilliant player, a great personality to be around and I can only see positive things for her in the future.”
