Colin Judge hopes his journey to becoming a two-time Paralympian and Paris 2024 flagbearer can inspire others who are struggling with their disability. The Dubliner has recalled to Fitter Happier how he had to face down his own fear of failure to become one of the best table tennis players in the world. “It began when I was 10 or 11 years of age,” he said. “I was struggling with my disability a lot, I’d just gone into secondary school. “I went to an able-bodied rugby school, St Michael’s College, and it was the first time I really realised I was different. “My friends all started playing rugby at this stage and it obviously wasn’t an option for me.” So, along with his brother, he went searching for a sport that he could play. “I remember being in UCD at a sports camp, trying out a number of different sports with my younger, able-bodied brother,” said the 30-year-old. “Wheelchair rugby was the first, which was a lot of fun, but I wasn’t very good at it. My brother beat me at everything, more or less, for the majority of the week. “Having one arm and no legs, I struggled with a lot of sports. “But table tennis was the last one that we tried and I took to it pretty quickly. It was the only sport that I could beat my brother at, so it was from there that I decided to give it a go.” It wasn’t easy, though, as Judge was anxious about reaching out for advice. Judge was speaking at the launch of a partnership between SPAR and EUROSPAR, and The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. He said: “I reached out to the coach in UCD, which was quite a big deal for me at the time, because I was a pretty nervous guy, and I didn’t want to be a nuisance. “I felt I wasn’t going to be good enough. But I did it in the end and the rest is history, I suppose. I’m very happy that I sent that email. “I wasn’t very good at it at the beginning, but I suppose it was more of an outlet in my earlier days, somewhere to go in the evening, improve my social skills and do a bit of exercise. “Then it obviously became much more than that over the years.” Judge’s rise in the world of table tennis has been impressive. After the heartache of missing out on a spot at Rio in 2016 by one place, he qualified for Tokyo and then Paris, where he led out Team Ireland at the opening ceremony. Currently in the top-eight in the world, he has been performing consistently this year and has three more ranking tournaments to come, including the European Championships in Sweden in November. A third Paralympics in LA is on the agenda, with Judge saying: “There’s gas left in the tank. 100 percent. We are very committed to that at the moment.” Judge’s sporting successes have been mirrored in other areas of his life. He has paused a career in actuary to focus on full-time training. His story is as powerful as anyone’s when it comes to the positive role that sport can play. “As I got involved in table tennis, my social skills improved a lot,” he said. “But more than that, once I started to take the sport seriously, I started to set goals for myself, I started to commit to training four or five times a week. “I didn’t reach all the goals that I set out for myself, but I think the goals that I did reach helped boost that relationship that I had with me, and made me feel better about myself. It gave me confidence. “Then, over the years as I got better, I realised that for all the things I couldn’t do, there was a lot that I could do. “The success that I achieved in table tennis translated directly into other areas of life.” “I don’t know where I would be without (sport).” That takes us to his message for anyone who might be, as was the case for Judge when he went to secondary school, struggling with their disability. He said: “I think the absolute best advice I could give is similar to what I said about sending that email. “Sometimes when you are a young kid with a disability it is extremely difficult to put yourself out there and take the initiative. But the people out there are a lot nicer than you think sometimes. “I was so afraid that I’d be a nuisance and I wouldn’t be good enough. I probably wasn’t good enough, but so many people helped me along the way. “I think the worst thing you can do is be afraid to fail and let your dream die. “Sometimes you have got to put yourself in those uncomfortable situations and really just try everything, and not be afraid to fail, and not be afraid to take the initiative and put yourself in an uncomfortable situation, because that’s where a lot of growth happens.” # SPAR and EUROSPAR have been announced as Official Retail Partners to The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. As part of the agreement, they will offer opportunities for communities to show their support for their local athletes. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.