IslandStats.com - Bermuda Sports Online

IslandStats.com

The man affectionately known as “Mr. Boccia” in Bermuda, Troy Farnsworth, is stepping back from the sport after 13 years of dedicated involvement. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy, having cultivated a small but formidable Bermudian boccia squad that now consistently competes on the international stage, but not without a hopeful look to the sport's continued development on the island. Farnsworth, who has filled almost every conceivable role within Boccia Bermuda – from coach and administrator to board member – has chosen to depart to devote more time to his family.

Farnsworth's profound impact is perhaps best encapsulated by the ascent of Paralympian Yushae DeSilva-Andrade. DeSilva-Andrade made history at Rio 2016 as Bermuda's first boccia player to compete at a Paralympic Games. Eight years later, under Farnsworth’s watchful eye, she advanced to the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the women’s individual BC1 event, before ultimately losing to eventual champion Aurelie Aubert of France. She was one of only two Bermudian athletes at the Paris Games, alongside wheelchair racer Jessica Cooper Lewis, and was deservedly named Bermudian Female Athlete of the Year upon her return.

"When I’m home people come up to me and they’ll be like, ‘What’s boccia?’ and I’ll have to explain it to them more, because a lot of people don’t really understand what it is," DeSilva-Andrade reflected after her competition in Paris, highlighting the ongoing effort to raise the sport's profile despite its growing success.

His mission began in earnest in 2012. Farnsworth embarked on a learning curve himself, finding a tournament in Montreal, Canada, and taking six Bermudian athletes to compete. "I didn’t know much about the sport, but I thought going there would be a good way to learn," he admitted. “What I saw really shocked me. It was a very high level of competition, and I realised if we were going to do this properly, we had to take it more seriously and really lift our game.”

That first tournament proved to be a pivotal moment. Since then, Farnsworth has tirelessly worked to improve playing standards on the North Atlantic island. Concurrently, he helped establish and nurture crucial support networks that would allow talented athletes to progress beyond recreational play. He was a key figure in the small group that officially set up Boccia Bermuda in 2014, an entirely volunteer-run governing body with a dedicated, albeit small, board.

Despite Bermuda's modest population of a little more than 60,000 people and inherently limited resources, “Mr. Boccia” has been instrumental in bringing through a number of elite players who have consistently competed internationally under the Bermudian flag. This dedication has yielded impressive results: Omar Hayward is currently ranked world No.19 in the men’s BC1 category, whilst Yushae DeSilva-Andrade holds a formidable world No.3 ranking in the women’s BC1.

“For smaller countries, it is a case of getting more recreational players into competition and then once you get them to that first tournament, they learn from being there,” said Farnsworth, himself a former Australian Rules footballer. He stresses that ongoing education and exposure are vital.

Looking to the future, Farnsworth, as a co-founder of Boccia Bermuda, articulated his hopes and concerns for how smaller nations can continue to grow in the sport, particularly in keeping pace with the latest trends in equipment, training, analysis, and sports science. “You have to make good decisions and work hard as a small country and there is no doubt that the sport has grown tremendously, and competitive opportunities have increased dramatically. World Boccia have done a phenomenal job since I have been involved with the sport, and I have seen the standard of play get better every year."