Pearson is a multi-medallist who has competed and won gold medals at four Paralympic Games: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. He expressed his support for the unique festival of disability sport which encourages attendees to ‘Meet the Medallists, Try the Sports, Get Inspired’.

“I’m very much looking forward to Sports Fest, it is a fantastic opportunity for people to get involved in sport”, he said.

“It’s very important to have days like this, giving people the opportunity to try out new sports and hopefully inspire more people to get involved”.

Among athletes who have confirmed to attend in the last week are Pearson, 2012 gold and double silver medallist equestrian rider Sophie Wells and powerlifter Ali Jawad.

The announcement follows confirmation last week that Paralympic multi-medallists Jody Cundy, Hannah Cockroft and Sarah Storey have pledged their support to ParalympicsGB’s Sports Fest.

Sports Fest ambassador Will Bayley, who won a silver and a bronze in Table Tennis, is delighted that so many athletes have signed up to attend:

“It’s great to see that so many of my fellow athletes are now set to join me at Sports Fest”, he said.

“With just over one week to go, it looks set to be a fantastic event and I hope we see a great turn out in Sheffield.”

Athletes will participate in the Meet the Medallists sessions, where they will be available to answer questions, sign autographs and have their photo taken. They will also help out in the main hall, encouraging attendees to try out their sport.

In attendance will be Sports Fest ambassadors Will Bayley (Table Tennis) and Maddie Thompson (Wheelchair Basketball), as well as representatives from other Paralympic sports including:

•        10-time Paralympic gold medallist Lee Pearson

•        London 2012 Team gold and double silver medallist Sophie Wells

•        the London 2012 bronze medal-winning men’s Table Tennis team of Bayley, Ross Wilson and Aaron McKibbin,

•        Beijing gold medallist John Stubbs (Archery),

•        Sarah McPhee and Natasha Davies (Wheelchair Basketball),

•        Adam Knott (Goalball),

•        Ali Jawad (Powerlifting)

•        Dave Wetherill (Table Tennis),

•        Craig McCann (Wheelchair Fencing),

•        Lorraine Lambert, Sarah Woods and Jean Guild (Shooting)

•        Anthony Cotterill (Wheelchair Tennis).

The ParalympicsGB Sports Fest will go to different regions in the UK in 2013 and 2014. Register for the Sheffield event or for more information on future events via www.paralympics.org.uk/sportsfest.

The Sports Fest will provide information and come-and-try opportunities on both summer and winter Paralympic sports, as well as opportunities to meet medallists from London 2012. The BPA is working with National Governing Bodies and other key partners such as the Home Nation Disability Sport Federations to provide information to all comers on how to get involved, including those interested in getting involved in wider areas such as coaching and volunteering.

Mark Colbourne was a keen sportsman before he broke his back in a paragliding accident in May 2009.

“I am happy to be supporting the ParalympicsGB Sports Fest, because I believe that sport has really changed my life”, he said.

“I was a very active person before my accident and being active was really important to me. So I was already a big believer in the positive influence that sport can have. But after I was injured, I wasn’t sure how active I could be and I was nervous about putting myself out there. I would say to all disabled people who aren’t sure about sport or who are worried, just give it a go and see what happens. It can be difficult to overcome all those worries but it is worth it if you find something you really enjoy. Once I’d built up the nerve to try disability sport, I had a go at several different things before I found something that I really loved: cycling.

“For me, it was important to get back into an active lifestyle after my accident and sport has helped me with that. Even if I hadn’t been so successful at cycling, I would still enjoy it and be out there on my bike most days – after all, sport should ultimately be about having fun! I hope disabled people who have watched the Paralympics make the most of the Sports Fest to find out more about different Paralympic sports and about opportunities for getting involved.”

Natasha Baker took up riding after watching Lee Pearson compete at the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000. After being inspired herself to take up sport, she is keen to do the same for others.

“I remember very clearly watching the 2000 Paralympic Games on TV and saying to my parents ‘I want to do that’”, says Baker. “I found my local club and went from there. Now I’ve got two gold medals! I can’t put in to words how much sport has influenced my life. Obviously I train hard so it takes up a lot of time, but sport has had a positive impact in other ways, such as helping me build my confidence. I really hope that there are people out there who watched me, or other Paralympians, compete in London and who have turned to their families or friends and said ‘I want to give that a go’. To all of those people, I’d say please register for the Sports Fest. It is a fantastic opportunity to find out more about lots of Paralympic sports in one go – including equestrian – and to see how you can get involved.

“My journey has involved a lot of hard work and dedication but not all sport has to be like that. For many people, sport is about having fun and being active. That’s just as important. Whether you have ambitions of being a Paralympian or just want to find out more, I’d really encourage disabled people to come along.”

Baker and Colbourne are the latest Paralympians to support the Sports Fest, after T44 100m gold medallist Jonnie Peacock announced his support as part of the launch of the event last week, while numerous Paralympians have shown their support for the Festival on social media network Twitter.

BPA Performance Director Penny Briscoe is pleased that the Festival has attracted high profile supporters.

“It is great to see that the Festival is being well received by the athletes and that we have fantastic athletes such as Mark and Natasha who are supporting it. These are athletes who have watched the Paralympic Games, been inspired by the achievements of Paralympians, and decided to give disability sport a go. Now they have represented their country on the biggest stage of all and won Paralympic gold medals. Mark and Natasha are therefore perfectly placed to encourage other people to try out sport, because it is a path that they have been on themselves.

“We are not expecting everyone who comes in the door to be a future Paralympian, but we do hope that the achievements at London 2012 will inspire more disabled people to get into sport. We always encourage people to give sport a go, whether you want to compete at a high level or whether you just want to go to your local club once a week.

“The Sports Fest provides an opportunity for disabled people to see what is out there for them.”

Included in the programme of activities for the event, which is free to attend, are either come-and-try sessions or information stands for almost all of the 22 summer and three winter sports in the Paralympic Games as well as other key partners such as the English Federation of Disability Sport. In addition, the BPA can confirm that Natasha Baker will be one of the gold medallists in attendance on the first day of the Sports Fest, while Jonnie Peacock and Mark Colbourne will both be among the medallists present on the second day of the event.

The Sports Fest will be held at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Monday December 3 and Tuesday December 4.

Anyone interested in attending can register via the ParalympicsGB website: www.paralympics.org.uk/sportsfest

The festival will provide an opportunity for disabled people to try out different disability sports and explore how they can get involved. It will showcase summer and winter Paralympic sports, including para-triathlon and para-canoeing which will feature on the Paralympic programme for the first time in Rio. There will also be opportunities to meet the stars of the ParalympicsGB team from London, including Jonnie Peacock and to celebrate their amazing achievements and the inspiration they provided to the whole nation.

The T44 100m gold medallist is keen to support the festival. He was identified by the BPA in 2008 at a talent identification day and was supported in his first year in sport by the BPA’s Fast Track Power Programme before moving to a full-time UK Athletics programme.

“I am a walking example of how sport can change your life for the better”, he said. “Sport has totally shaped the person I am today. I went to a BPA talent day when I was 15 years old and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Sport gave me some direction. I am not saying that everyone can go on and win a Paralympic medal, but the process of getting more active or taking up a sport at a local club can definitely have a big impact on your life.”

BPA Chief Executive Tim Hollingsworth explained the festival further, saying:

“The festival is about building on the momentum of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. We know that the performances of our athletes will have inspired many disabled people to take up sport. This is not just about seeing who is out there who could one day pull on a ParalympicsGB vest, this is about giving people the chance to see what is out there that works for them. For some it might be coaching, officiating or volunteering, for others just the joy of taking part.

“We recognise that the hard work of our athletes this summer has inspired disabled and non-disabled people alike, but we also know that for many sport isn’t just about winning medals. So now, working with our partners, we hope to provide an opportunity to show all the different ways in which people can get involved.”

The Sports Fest, which is free to attend, will include either come-and-try sessions or information stands for the vast majority of the 22 summer and three winter sports in the Paralympic Games. There will also be a presence from the BPA’s online club signposting tool Deloitte Parasport, (www.parasport.org.uk), which has seen a huge upsurge in traffic since the start of the Paralympic Games, as well as the opportunity for other partners to demonstrate the opportunities they provide to get into sport.

Anyone interested in attending can register via the ParalympicsGB website:www.paralympics.org.uk/sportsfest