Benjamin Pritchard: From Gold in Paris to the World Stage in Shanghai

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The Road to Shanghai

Ben has been busy preparing for the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai (21–28 September), and Pritchard is balancing the demands of elite sport with his mission to inspire and support others.

He got off to the best possible start: yesterday, 22nd September 2025, racing in the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls heats, he delivered a commanding performance to win convincingly and secure his place in the World Championship Final on Friday 26 September.

For Pritchard, the Championships are not only about competing for medals but also about demonstrating the values he lives by: resilience, inclusion, and belief in growth.

“The Foundation shows young people that they don’t have to accept the life they’ve been given, that they can climb, progress, and grow,” he says. “That’s why I give my time. Because for just a few hours, we can create a space where every child feels like they belong. And that’s priceless.”

Benjamin Pritchard: Paralympic Champion, Advocate, and Ambassador for Change

In the summer of 2024, Ben achieved the pinnacle of his sporting career: Paralympic gold in Paris. Eight years of grit, discipline, and perseverance had brought him to that moment. But for Pritchard, rowing is only part of the story. Just as vital is his work off the water as an ambassador for the London Irish Foundation, where he champions the transformative power of sport and community.

A Life Rooted in Sport

Growing up in a sports-obsessed family, Pritchard had every opportunity to immerse himself in activity. His mother refereed rugby internationally, while his father, after a life-changing accident, dedicated himself to ensuring Benjamin and his brothers could attend any club they wished. That early access instilled in him a belief that sport is more than competition; it’s belonging.

But in 2016, his world was reshaped when a cycling accident left him with a life-altering injury. What might have been the end of his sporting story became instead the beginning of a new chapter.

“Sport was the tool that got me from lying in a hospital bed to wanting to live life again,” he recalls. “When I was in a sports hall, my disability evaporated. I was just Ben again, having fun with friends.”

Advocacy Through Experience

That personal journey fuels Pritchard’s advocacy for greater inclusion in sport, particularly for children with disabilities. He points to a statistic released during Paris 2024: just one in four children with a disability has access to PE at school.

“I think that’s terrible,” he says bluntly. “But then you see days like today, where 69 kids from six different schools came together, all with different needs, and they all left with a smile. That’s what it’s about.”

For him, the London Irish Foundation exemplifies what can be achieved when barriers are removed. “The more we can integrate children into sport, the more they’ll feel part of society, the more confidence they’ll build, the more opportunities they’ll see for themselves.”

The Role of the Foundation

As an ambassador, Pritchard volunteers his time to support the Foundation’s disability programmes, youth projects, and community initiatives. He sees its work as essential, especially in the face of funding challenges since the loss of the London Irish Rugby Club.

“Charities are hard to sustain,” he acknowledges. “But what’s brilliant about this Foundation is that it’s rooted right here in the local community. The impact isn’t abstract. You can see it every single day in the children laughing, in the young people gaining confidence, in the opportunities created.”

He is quick to credit the leadership behind the charity: Andy Keast, Wayne, and Rhys. “Without those three, the Foundation may have faltered. But they’re not just leaders behind the scenes—they’re here, on the shop floor, putting in the work. That’s the driving factor.”

Lessons in Growth

For Pritchard, the Foundation’s programmes are not just about immediate impact; they’re about showing young people that growth is possible, no matter where they start.

He recalls speaking with a group of girls who had come through one of the Foundation’s projects. “They weren’t the finished article when they began, but now they’ve got the confidence to walk into a room and say, ‘I don’t know everything, but I’m going to learn today.’ That’s huge.”

It’s a lesson he applies to himself as well. “I’ve just won Paralympic gold, but I’m still not the finished project. If I go to LA, it’s another four years of getting faster and better. We’re all still learning, still treading water, still finding our way.”

More Than a Role Model

Though often described as a role model, Pritchard resists the label.

“I don’t feel like a role model—I’m just living my life. But what I do try to do is treat people how I want to be treated. When I play games with kids at these events, they’re shocked I want to join in. But why wouldn’t I? They’re having fun, and I want to have fun too.”

For him, it’s about breaking down barriers between athletes and children, between disability and ability, between perception and reality.

“I’m not famous. I’m just Ben. I face challenges every day like they do. But I still want to play, to laugh, to have fun.”