Paralympic silver medallist Beth Munro has implored the next generation of athletes to ‘dream big’ as the Path to Paris continues.

Speaking in Manchester as Get Set, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s official youth engagement programme, launched their new virtual challenge, Path to Paris, the Liverpool taekwondo star hopes that her own emotional story can inspire others to aim for similar success.

Munro, who was born with an arm impairment and had previously competed in javelin and netball, won Great Britain’s first ever taekwondo medal at Tokyo 2020 just a matter of months after taking up the martial arts sport.

And after beginning her taekwondo journey in 2019, the 30-year-old says finding a sport she loved instantly propelled her to new heights.

Ealing Times:

“I started at quite a later age in life, at 26, 27,” Munro said.

“I started taekwondo having not done a martial art before, so people would have thought I was a bit crazy.

“But having found a sport that that I really enjoy, and having fun doing it, I took it to higher heights.

"ParalympicsGB took me on six months before the Tokyo Games and said:  ‘shall we try it?’.

“Six months later, I have come home with the first para taekwondo medal in history for GB.

“Aim high and dream big. Because you never know what could happen.

“Anything is possible at the ripe old age of 26. So have fun, and if you enjoy it, continue to do so.”

Get Set, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s official youth engagement programme, aims to inspire children aged 4–11 and their families to get active together and has recently launched a new virtual challenge – Path to Paris.

Powered by funding from Sport England and Spirit of 2012 and supported by local and national partners, the Path to Paris challenge invites teams across the nation to log their physical activity on their website which is converted into distance to power them around the world, unlocking exciting prizes and exclusive rewards. So far, over 13.5 million minutes have been logged which equals a staggering 8.1 million km travelled.

Path to Paris provides a fantastic opportunity to bring positive change into all aspects of children’s lives, all while bringing families, school communities, and wider communities together.

The countdown is on until the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with just six months to go until the Olympic Opening ceremony. Team GB and ParalympicsGB are celebrating this milestone with a Countdown to the Games event in Manchester.

On the road to her second Games this summer, Munro is also hoping that continued success in Paris will see the profile of the Paralympics continue to grow.

“From a representation point of view, I think the Paralympic movement has got so much better since 2012 in London and it continues to rise,” Munro said.

“There are higher heights to reach and I am happy to be a part of the movement to get it to the height that it deserves, because we don’t get enough representation, to get people out there with physical disabilities, neurological disabilities.

“It is exciting, and I am happy to be a part of it.”