Aaryan Shah remembers watching Australia’s first time hosting an international Boccia tournament back in 2013; but little did he know almost 12 years later, the next time the sport came to Australia, he’d be not only playing, but taking home a silver medal.
It was a ‘full circle moment’ for the 24-year-old from Sydney, who got to share his win at the World Boccia Championship in Canberra with family and friends.
“I’m glad I could put in that performance in front of the home crowd,” he says. “I’ve been around [the world], but it’s always more special when you bring the world to you – it just felt different.”
A game of precision
A sport Shah describes as ‘chess with balls’, Boccia involves throwing or propelling a ball as close to a target ball called the jack, similar to curling. A Paralympic sport since 1984, all athletes play in wheelchairs, sometimes in pairs, teams, or individually.
A game of accuracy, patience and precision, Boccia caters for all kinds of physical impairments by classifying athletes into one of four categories depending on the type and severity of their impairment; Shah, who has cerebral palsy, plays in the BC2 category.
“It opens up a world for those people who otherwise may not have ever been able to play a sport at an elite level,” Shah says of Boccia.
“It’s just such a cool thing to see people like you with physical impairments and no real judgement – you’re judged on your skill, not your physical ability.”
Aaryan Shah first started his Boccia journey at primary school, encouraged by his Year 5 teacher.
“We had no idea about it – we just went to this tournament and saw a bunch of people, and we somehow made it to the state finals,” he says.
“One of my main coaches now was running the event – he saw me and said, ‘you have potential. We want to see where you can go.’”
It was only once he left school that Boccia turned from a hobby into a serious ambition. Winning the state title four times, and a silver medal for Australia at the 2018 Asia Regional championships in Taiwan, Boccia has taken Shah everywhere from Rome to Bahrain – but this latest win is his first individual international medal on home soil.
“When I was younger, I had this view that every comp was make or break. I didn’t realise they’ll give you multiple opportunities to prove yourself. I’ve made more strides, but it’s only in the last year where I’ve gone into deeper runs in tournaments,” he says.
Pushing for the Paralympics
Juggling life as an athlete with university study, however, has been a ‘balancing act’; next year, Shah will do his honours in psychology, before aiming for a masters.
“Last semester I was basically going between doing assignments and exams and going to different international tournaments – it’s pretty full on. I’d be home for a few weeks, do an assignment, then be gone again, then home again,” Shah says.
Nonetheless, he’s made steady progress towards his ultimate goal of playing Boccia for Australia at the Paralympics.
“I didn’t expect from last year to this year, my ranking would go from 60 to 25 – that’s pretty cool,” Shah remarks. “I’m slowly making strides in the right direction and becoming more consistent. I’m very lucky with the resources and support I have, all the people around me… for continually putting faith in me and believing in me.”
Shah is heartened by the support of his family, not only for his sporting career but his more thrill-seeking exploits, which include piggybacking up Machu Picchu to canyon swinging in New Zealand.
“They’ve always just told me that anything is possible, and we’ll make everything happen for you,” he says.
“You are different, but that shouldn’t mean that you don’t push yourself and show other people how amazing a life you could lead – that has driven me to stay fit, healthy and as independent as I can, to make the most of everything.”
Outside of Boccia, Aaryan Shah is a spokesperson for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance fundraising event Steptember, appearing on national television and at many corporate events.
“I’ve a bad sense of direction, my spatial awareness isn’t great; recently I’ve been asked by people a few times, ‘where’s your minder?’ [People] automatically assume that you need care and support all the time,” he says, when asked about something he wish others knew about cerebral palsy.
In a sporting world that still struggles to imagine difference, Shah wishes not to be seen as inspiring, but determined.
“I don’t think anything I’m doing is incredibly exceptional – it’s what a lot of other people have done before me and continue to do. I don’t like to be seen as something special or an anomaly because I have a condition and I’m doing this kind of stuff.”
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