Paris Paralympics: Shuker indebted to wheelchair tennis for giving her some joy
- Britain’s Lucy Shuker finally hoping to add gold to the two bronze and one silver medals she has won at previous Games
Lucy Shuker, bidding for a fourth Paralympics wheelchair tennis medal, said the sport had transformed life after she “lost her sparkle” following a motorbike crash that left her paralysed from the chest down.
Just 21 when she suffered the life-changing injury, the now 44-year-old, has become one of the finest doubles players in the world.
Bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Games, and a silver in Tokyo contributed to her being honoured by King Charles last year, which she described as “humbling.”
The Qatar-born Briton teams up with Abbie Breakwell – who was just five when Shuker made her Paralympics debut in Beijing in 2008 – in the women’s doubles which start on Friday.
Shuker has some good form on the clay of Roland Garros having once reached the French Open singles semi-finals and the last four of the doubles on three occasions.
Frustratingly for Shuker, she and her partner have never been able to quite get over the winning line, with eight defeats in grand slam finals – five at Wimbledon, and three Australian Opens – attesting to some ‘heartbreaking’ moments.