In Conversation with Anything but Footy Olympic and Paralympic Podcast

Paralympic and European Champion Benjamin Pritchard talks breaking records, family ties and returning for LA

Weeks before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Benjamin Prichard was pretty sure he’d be retiring once it was over. “I was counting down the Mondays. It was how I kept my sanity in the depths of it all. So when we returned to the UK, my wife and I decided to move back to Wales to bring our daughter up speaking Welsh and so she could go to a Welsh school.

“And then about two weeks into my ‘retirement’ or my post-Paris life, I thought, I want to go again. I was getting faster going into Paris. I was getting stronger. I just had this internal thing that I wasn’t done with the sport. I love rowing. I never thought I’d say that, but I do. I love going backwards and I love what we get to do as a job and I’m very privileged to do it. So I came back. There are 166 Mondays until LA, if anyone wants to know.”

Not only is Benjamin back, but, at the recent European Championships he took the PR1 category by storm, beating the World Best Time twice, once in his heat and again in the final. Although he describes this as “a complete shock” he feels that the early signs are looking positive for a successful season. “That old adage of a happy athlete is a fast athlete. I genuinely believe that. I am happier when I’m in Wales with my family. If I’ve seen my daughter Efa, if I’ve seen my wife Megan or I’ve seen my mum and dad or my brothers, it has a huge impact. I’ve got a great photo from the Europeans – It’s Efa peering over the iPad screen to watch my race. My brother sent it to me saying this is your ‘why’. And he’s 100% correct.”

You can listen to the full conversation between John Cushing, Michael Weadock and Benjamin Pritchard plus hear from Rory Harris, Matt Rowe, Sarah McKay and Daisy Bellamy on the Anything But Footy Podcast.