Jayson Shetty has been involved with Kingston University for 22 years, first as a student and alumni and in the last few years as a coach.
Shetty was the first disabled student representative at Kingston University and helped to raise awareness for students with a disability becoming a voice for them.
He now teaches boccia, a sport similar to bowls, in which players, divided in teams, have to throw red or blue balls as close as possible to a white or jack ball. It has been a Paralympic sport since 1984.
“I want it to be as little stress as possible, it is for enjoyment,” Shetty said about teaching the sport. “You can learn and forget and learn again,” he added.
“The idea was to engage students with disabilities to play sport. However you don’t have to be disabled to play, it is something different to participate, learn about and enjoy,” Shetty said.
He says that it brings out a competitive edge in everybody and emphasised that he wants students to enjoy playing boccia in his sessions.
With help from colleagues. Shetty received funding from Sport England in order to get his coaching accreditation and has been a coach at Kingston for nearly 10 years.
Shetty said that the rules of the game can be adjusted depending on the players but the main rule is that players need to be sitting when throwing the balls.
He considers himself lucky for being able to coach in Kingston, where he grew up, and for having the opportunity to work at a job that he enjoys.
“It is fun, it is enjoyable, it relieves a lot of stress and it really is good for mental health, I enjoy playing it and coaching it,” Shetty said.
He added that he wants his boccia sessions to be an escape from everyday stress and for students to get pure enjoyment out of these.
“I have had a long and happy involvement with this university, I am so grateful for these opportunities I had both as a student and as a member of staff,” Shetty said about the university.
“They say that if you find a job that you enjoy, it does not feel like work, it is a blessing,” he added.
He wants even more students to join him in order to share his knowledge and see the benefits of the activity to others.
He encourages everyone within the Kingston University community to come along and participate, regardless of age and ability, and spend time playing with their friends.
The sport is open for all abilities and ages, including members of staff who want to participate in the sessions.
Boccia sessions take place every Wednesday from midday to 1pm followed by multi-sport sessions at the fitness centre at Penrhyn Road campus.