Will Bayley

Biography

Will was born with the condition arthrogryposis, congenital joint contracture that affects all four of his limbs. From the age of three months, Will was continually in and out of hospitals, undergoing a number of operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Adversity seemed to haunt Will, and unfortunately at the age of seven, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. However, Will never let his misfortune hinder him in any way, making a full recovery from cancer back at Great Ormond Street. Whilst he was recovering, Will’s grandmother brought him a table tennis table and from there his love for the sport blossomed.

Will joined the Byng Table Tennis Club where he had the opportunity to represent the Kent men’s non-disabled team. Later moving to Bristol, Will joined the Bristol Table Tennis Academy where he trained and improved his skills. After time perfecting his skills Will joined the Great Britain Para table tennis team. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, Will made his Paralympic debut. Unfortunately, Will was beaten and so he decided to stay in China to train with the best in the sport.

Three years after his Paralympic debut Will had the opportunity to play in the 2011 European Championships. This competition saw Will claim his first gold medal and he was also voted Players Player of the Year. London 2012 Paralympic Games arrived and Will was on top form ready to claim the win. He placed second during the Individual- Class 7 match, claiming a silver medal for his collection. This narrow miss on first place made Will more determined than ever, training strictly and claiming the world number one ranking in 2013.

In 2014, Will had the chance to compete at the World Championships in China, where he triumphed, claiming the title of World Champion. Such remarkable performances earned him the prestigious Disability Sport Award at the inaugural Daily Mail and Sport England Pride of Sport Awards. In 2016, Will reached his greatest achievement to date, winning a Paralympic gold medal for table tennis. Another major milestone came in 2017 when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to table tennis. Most recently, at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Will added to his impressive list of accolades by securing his fourth Silver Paralympic medal in the Singles C7 event.

Outside of his Paralympic commitments, Will also lent his talent to the BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing. On the programme, he dedicated a dance to 7 Years to the staff who treated him at Great Ormond Street throughout his youth. Will is always eager to raise awareness for his condition and the hardships that he has faced in his life. As an Olympic speaker, he is able to cover topics such as overcoming adversity, disability, drive, determination, peak performance and passion. Will is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on any audience member, with an inspiring and heartwarming passion evident in everything that he does.