British Paralympian Will Arnott Passes Away at 25

At the conclusion of the 2024 boccia season, Will Arnott was ranked seventh worldwide. ParalympicsGB and Boccia UK have confirmed the death of the boccia athlete, aged 25. The BC3 boccia player made his Paralympic debut in Paris this summer, competing in both the singles and pairs events. Coach Glynn Tromans stated, “Will was loved all around the world and had a positive impact on people wherever he went.” He added, “I started working with him in 2018, alongside his former coach Barry Bowden. It was clear from the beginning that Will was a special human being and was going to be a great player.” Tromans further commented, “He was a tough sportsman and a fierce competitor, so many people will be so sad at this news because fundamentally he was not just a great player, he was a great guy. He will be truly missed.” Arnott, who hailed from Reading, was a former pupil of Treloar’s School in Hampshire and by the end of the 2024 season was placed seventh in the world boccia rankings. His first major appearance representing Great Britain was at the 2022 World Championships in Rio, where he reached the quarter-final stage in the BC3 pairs. Boccia UK, the national federation, stated that Arnott would “be remembered as a first-class athlete and a great team-mate who will be missed by all of us”. ParalympicsGB conveyed: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and team-mates at this desperately sad time.”