England's James Blackwell ready for Tenerife training

England’s James Blackwell is looking to make the most of the warm weather during the para squads’ mid-season training camp in Tenerife.

The cerebral palsy player is part of a group of six Para Lions squads who are involved in the camp, with five groups in Tenerife and the Powerchair squad at St. George’s Park.

And he believes it’s a vital week for all, as it gives them a chance to work together and focus on their collective aims for the year.

"We're all really looking forward to the week, it's going to be tough but it's a great way to see where we're all at physically,” he revealed after landing in Tenerife for the first of five days.

"A bit of sun always helps too when we're trying to get through these tough sessions.

"This is my second time of coming in Tenerife and it's a really good mix of technical and fitness sessions and all of the players across all of the squads put in the hard work and really push each other which is great.”

With a new head coach in place for the cerebral palsy team, in one of Blackwell’s former England team-mates Jack Rutter and an IFCPF World Championship to come later in the year, it’s an exciting time for those involved.

"We've got the World Championships coming up in October so it's a great way to start the year on the right foot and try to build on the silver medal we got at the Euros last year.

"These camps are really important and they're a real test to see where we are but it's also so beneficial for us to get the extra time together to work as a team.”

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