James Ball and Steff Lloyd
Nominated for Sport award
Para-cyclist James Ball is a visually impaired athlete earning numerous medals in both national and international competitions for Wales and Great Britain.
Over the past 8 years, James has excelled in various prestigious events, including the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and British Nationals, consistently performing at an elite level.
Steffan Lloyd is a former rugby player from Llandysul who began cycling in 2019 and by 2021 was selected for Team Wales competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the World Championships as a para-cycling pilot.
The para-cycling World Championships in Paris 2022 marked the debut of James and Steffan as a pair where they won the world title in the tandem team sprint, as well as silver in the kilo and bronze in the sprint.
They achieved a significant milestone by winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. The pair came out on top in an all British final for the Men’s B 1000m time trial – four laps around the track - and also a silver at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
In order to cycle around a velodrome at breathtaking speed, Tandem Cycling requires complete trust between the Para-Cyclist and their sighted pilot. The success of James and Steff’s partnership has excelled through hours of training, excellent communication and determination to overcome challenges.