Posted: 9 July, 2025
We were absolutely thrilled to welcome Paralympic cycling legend, James Ball, to our Wheels for All Salford session last week.
James, who hails from Wales, is a highly decorated para-cyclist who competes in tandem sprint events and has represented Great Britain on the world stage for over a decade. Among his many accolades are a gold medal from the Tokyo Paralympics and a silver from the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in 2024. His visit was a real honour for our Salford team, volunteers, and participants alike.
After meeting James at a cycling event earlier this year, we invited him to experience first-hand the work we’re doing to make cycling accessible to disabled people within communities across the country. We were delighted when he took us up on the offer and made the journey to our Salford Hub at Cleavley Athletics Track.
During his visit, James met participants of all ages and abilities, explored our fleet of adapted cycles, and even joined in some of the riding activities himself - sharing tips, encouragement, and a lot of smiles. For many of our riders, meeting an elite athlete who understands the challenges and triumphs of para-sport was a real inspiration.
Yvonne Stead, Regional Manager for Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, said:
“It was such a pleasure to welcome James to our Salford Hub. His achievements are remarkable, but what truly stood out was his warmth, generosity, and willingness to connect with our riders. For some of our participants, this was their first time meeting a Paralympian. Who knows, we might just have a future champion in our ranks!”
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to James for taking the time to visit and support our mission. You’re welcome back any time, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!
