By Will Castle

Paris 2024 has lit the fire within Cerith Rosser to live out his Paralympic fantasy as he sets his sights on competing in archery at future Games.

Rosser, 33, is a para archer on the rise having first got into the sport just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Lockdown provided the opportunity for Rosser to binge watch YouTube videos of elite level archery, sparking the dream that he could one day compete on the Paralympic stage.

With LA 2028 in his sights, the Swansea native is now more determined than ever after becoming engrossed by the sheer amount of archery action in Paris, inspired further by GB gold medallists Nathan Macqueen and Jodie Grinham.

“That's the dream,” he said. “It would mean everything [to get to the Paralympics].

“For the compound archery, I watched all the matches that you can. That was great with Channel 4 because they actually got it for YouTube as well so you can watch all the other countries. 

“It was literally like a three or four hour thing for about four nights in a row, watching all the matches and it just does light the fire.

“I thought I was motivated before watching the Paralympics but now I'm at a whole different level of motivation. It shows how much I really do want it.”

While having aspirations on a future place on the podium, Rosser has emphasised that the Paralympics means far more than medals.

“Obviously it's a pinnacle for us, but it goes a lot further than just sports,” he added. “It brings everyone together, it makes everything more visible.

“It also shows people that just because you are classed as a para athlete, the para athletes [at the Paralympics] in whatever sport they're in are absolutely world class. 

“That’s probably a shock to some people - when they actually watch it, they're like, ‘I could do something like that’.”

Rosser is one of 50 athletes across a multitude of sports supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multimillion-pound grassroots sport programme established by Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral.

With a keen eye on Paralympic stardom down the line, Rosser is under no illusions just how vital the help the funding could be in reaching the pinnacle of his sport.

“It'd be a massive part of it because the help I've already had, it has made a big difference,” he said. “It's allowed me to go to more competitions, coaching and things like that. 

“Without SportsAid, it would be a big struggle for myself. It would hamper me and stop me progressing as much as I feel like I'm at the moment.”

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more.