On tonights episode, Bartholomew speaks with Olympic gymnast James Hall from Maidstone about life ahead of Paris 2024. Plus, we welcome diability racecar driver Dom Shore ahead of his rookie season in the Britcar championship.
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00:00 Hello and welcome along to Invicta Sport, the only show on your TV dedicated to wrapping
00:20 up all of Kent's sporting action. I'm Bartholomew Hall and here's what to expect on this Monday
00:25 the 22nd of January. Stone struggle, penalty goal not enough to give Maidstone a point
00:31 at Slough. Achieving the dream, Chatham Racer joins all disabled motorsport team. And all
00:38 or nothing, Maidstone gymnast says Paris could be one of his last Olympic Games. But first,
00:43 as always, a round up of the headlines. And four players from Medway's Holcombe Hockey
00:47 Club have played a part in helping Great Britain's men's hockey team qualify for Paris 2024.
00:53 Here's the moment when Oli Payne, David Ames, Phil Roper and Nick Bandarack helped Britain
00:57 to a podium finish after beating New Zealand's three goals to one. We should see that in
01:02 just a second. There we are. Team GB won all three of their pool games at the qualifiers
01:06 in Oman last week with all four Holcombe players involved in each match. However, beating the
01:11 Black Sticks would be the boys' final win of the qualifiers with Germany ousting Great
01:15 Britain to the final by one goal to nil. Chatham's Moses Italma says it was a once-in-a-lifetime
01:22 opportunity to train with Tyson Fury. The 19-year-old rising star is preparing for the
01:27 undercard at next month's anticipated Ring of Fire show in Saudi Arabia. He was chosen
01:32 to spar with the boxing heavyweight after being personally picked out by Fury. Italma
01:36 says he hopes to become the world's fastest heavyweight world champion. February's event
01:41 is where Fury will take on Oleksandr Usyk with the chance to become the undisputed heavyweight
01:47 world champion. Rugby Now and Tunbridge Juddians did the double
01:51 over Old Albanians with a 34-20 bonus point win in the National League Two East. It comes
01:58 after Sevenoaks had their game postponed due to a frozen pitch. Tunbridge, however, managed
02:02 to swap their fixture from their usual ground at the Slade with a 3G pitch proving the surface
02:07 for the Judds to thrive. Elsewhere, and Canterbury are proving to be the travelling men of the
02:11 league as they registered their fifth win on the road with a 52-36 win over Wimbledon.
02:17 Your next host, second from bottom, Worthing on Saturday.
02:22 Gillingham are being linked with Rotherham United striker Georgie Kelly. The 27-year-old
02:26 frontman moved to England a year ago when he signed for the Millers and scored in his
02:30 debut for them against the Gilles at Priestfield before they won promotion to the Championship.
02:35 He played 31 games for them last season where he scored four times. However, Gillingham's
02:39 head coach Stephen Clements was asked about Kelly at the game at the weekend but refused
02:43 to comment saying he doesn't talk about players that are attached to other clubs. It's the
02:47 latest in a string of rumours to come from the transfer window after the Gilles signed
02:51 Romeo Hutton who made his debut at the weekend.
02:55 And sticking with football, Gillingham were looking to make it four wins in a row on Saturday
02:58 whilst Maidstone travelled to Slough ahead of their big FA Cup tie next week.
03:03 This week, Maidstone United travelled away to Arbor Park for a match-up against a ruthless
03:08 Slough Town FC. Maidstone struggled to get going, a trend that would stick for the rest
03:13 of the game as the first meaningful attack came from the home side as club captain Josh
03:18 Jackman opened the scoring in the 7th minute.
03:25 After the break, the Rebels fired a free kick towards the bottom right corner but Luka Kolovan
03:30 got down low for a strong save. Maidstone gathered some momentum in the latter stages
03:35 of the second half, getting their reward in the 63rd minute as debutant Mohamedou Fahle
03:41 converted a penalty to make it 1-1.
03:47 The Stones kept the pressure on but Slough were able to dig deep and avoid conceding
03:52 yet another. The Stones found themselves in a dire situation just 11 minutes before the
03:56 final whistle as second half sub Rafe Brown received his second yellow for a challenge
04:01 on Bulgarian forward Slavi Spasov. Spasov delivered a low cross to the feet of Johnny
04:10 Goddard who after a clumsy touch managed to slot the ball away into the bottom right corner
04:15 for an 83rd minute winner. Final score was 2-1 as Slough made it 15 consecutive games
04:21 unbeaten at home.
04:23 Elsewhere in the National League South, Tunbridge Angels FC lost 1-0 at home to Worthing after
04:28 Oli Pearce was able to dispatch a volley in front of goal. And as for Dartford, their
04:33 way fixture against Bath was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Athletic remained at the
04:38 bottom of the league in 24th while Maidstone hold on to 4th, only trailing by a goal difference
04:44 of 2.
04:45 In League 2, Gillingham took a point away from their matchup with Forest Green Rovers,
04:51 continuing their unbeaten record to 4. The Geels took the lead with Oli Hawkins as he
04:55 netted his first goal of the season as he powered home a header from a corner. Forest
05:00 Green Rovers were able to level the scores as Karl McAllister was able to pick out the
05:05 top corner from the edge of the box. Here's what Stephen Clements had to say.
05:09 "There was a little bit of an edginess about us and obviously we all have to look at ourselves,
05:14 that's me included, the whole group and obviously have a reset, come back on Monday and go again."
05:23 In the National League, Evesleet missed out on a goalless draw after a wonder strike from
05:27 Hartlepool United's Anthony Mancini midway through the second half. As for the table,
05:31 Evesleet dropped to 21st, stealing clear of the relegation zone by just 2 points.
05:38 And as for the Isthmian Premier, Folkestone and Victor held on to a 0-0 draw in their
05:42 way fixture against 20th place Haringey Borough. Margate continued their winless run as 7th
05:48 place Bogna Regis dispatched them with a 1-0 win. And as for 2nd place Chatham Town, their
05:52 matchup against 5th place Wingate was postponed.
05:56 And that's your football roundup from James Hill.
06:02 Time to meet tonight's first guest. Chatham's Dom Shaw, who was born with a spinal condition,
06:06 is set to achieve his dream of becoming a racing driver this year. He's the latest rookie
06:10 to join Team Brit, the world's only competitive team of all disabled racing drivers. After
06:16 a lifetime as a racing fan, he'll now tour the UK in the Britkart Championship on legendary
06:21 UK circuits like Silverstone or Kent's very own Brands Hatch.
06:24 I'm very happy to say Dom joins me in the studio now. Thank you very much for being
06:28 here and welcome on to Invicta Sport.
06:29 Thank you very much for having me.
06:31 It's amazing to have you here. Now, first of all, tell me where it all started. I believe
06:34 your dad was a big inspiration for you getting behind the wheel.
06:37 Yeah, so my dad raced 94s locally. He'd always had the Porsche in the garage and I'd help
06:44 him out with the car and go to every race with him. And that's what sparked the interest
06:50 for racing for me. But it was something I never thought was possible, being disabled
06:56 and not having the equipment available.
06:58 And you've been in a wheelchair since birth and obviously you use it every day in your
07:04 life. But you did start off trying out karting at a young age and also remote car racing.
07:10 Tell me the story behind that.
07:11 Yeah, so my dad insisted that I go in a go-kart from a young age to get me used to driving
07:19 so that it would eventually get me independent in driving on the roads, etc. myself. But
07:25 also as well, that sparked the interest in going racing as well. And again, with the
07:31 lack of facilities, when I was nine, my dad bought me my first ever remote control car,
07:39 which I still race. I don't race the same one, but I still do remote control car racing
07:43 to this day.
07:44 It's fantastic. I know there's quite a big following behind remote car racing. My producer
07:48 in the year right now is saying she does it. So yeah, it's fantastic. But of course now,
07:53 fast forward to today, you're about to compete in your first championship. How are you feeling?
08:00 Excited. All the emotions you can think of. Excited, nervous. It's a dream come true to
08:05 finally be a racing driver.
08:08 Exactly that. You actually get to say that now. And you've proven people wrong. I mean,
08:11 we've got pictures of you here in the studio and also on the screen of you testing out
08:16 some car. This is a C1, but you're going to be driving a BMW Series 1.
08:20 Yes, that's correct.
08:22 And you've already been in the car, you've done some testing. What's it been like?
08:25 Yeah. So when I first met Team Brit, I did a track day with them and I went in that very
08:30 same car. So I've done that a couple of years ago and hopefully I'll be racing that again
08:37 in March.
08:38 So I understand you're paralysed from the waist down. Have you got like a modified car?
08:44 How does it work for people that don't understand?
08:47 So myself, I've got hand control. So I've got a steering ball on the wheel and then
08:51 I've got a push-pull hand control to the side for accelerator and brake.
08:55 And your team, I've written his name down, Caleb McDuff. He's the UK's only deaf driver
09:02 and all of your teammates within Team Brit are all disabled as well. How does it feel
09:07 to be paving the way? I mean, it's the world's first team to be all disabled. There's going
09:11 to be a whole generation of young drivers who'll be looking up to you thinking, "That's
09:15 never going to be something I can achieve." But then when they see you doing it and your
09:18 teammates, that's going to completely change that.
09:20 That's it. That is the plan, to inspire others to come forward and join us to be disabled
09:26 racing drivers. That's what Team Brit is for, to show that disabled people can compete in
09:32 motorsport.
09:33 Now what would you say to your younger self if he was looking up now? He's trying out
09:38 go-karting and he's got those remote-controlled cars for the first time. If you could see
09:42 him now, what would you say to him?
09:44 Do it. Go for it. If you think you want to do it and you want to approach someone, send
09:50 the email, make that phone call, turn up on their doorstep, go for it. Don't stop.
09:55 Don't stop. Fantastic. Well, you're not going to be stopping. Very soon, you're going to
09:59 be behind the car, you're going to be there. Those lights are going to go out and you're
10:01 going to be racing away.
10:03 First one's the Brit Car Championship, a very competitive series. You're starting off at
10:07 Donington Park.
10:08 30th of March.
10:09 OK. And have you got a track that you're looking forward to most? You've got the local one,
10:14 you're from Medway, not too far away is Brands Hatch, of course.
10:17 Yeah. So I'm looking forward to Donington being the very first race. And again, that
10:22 was my very first racing track experience in a real car. So that would be amazing for
10:28 me. And I've been around Brands as well, so I'm looking forward to that. But I've never
10:33 been around the GP circuit.
10:34 OK. Right. So first, of course. Now, do you get to do any more testing before the season
10:38 actually starts or is that just straight in for the first practice, I assume?
10:42 Yeah, we will be testing at some point to make sure that we're all ready for the season,
10:47 making sure we're familiar with the car and the controls to make sure that we've got all
10:52 the preparation correct at the start of the season.
10:54 And where do you hope to take this? I know the dream was to just get in the car, let
10:58 alone be racing it. I mean, where do you hope to take your career?
11:02 So Team Brit's long term goal is to be the first all disabled racing team to compete
11:07 at Le Mans. So I hope to be part of that team when we're ready to do so.
11:12 And that's fantastic. We hope to follow you all the way. Don, thank you so much for coming
11:16 and sharing your journey with us. We're going to hopefully come down when you reach Brands
11:20 in the calendar and we'll follow your journey there.
11:22 Fantastic. Thank you very much for having me.
11:23 Thank you very much. Now, we've reached half time, which means it's time for a break. But
11:28 coming up, we've got a very special feature we'll be hearing from Australian born Olympic
11:32 gymnast James Hall. Living and training in Maidstone, Hall is preparing to represent
11:37 Great Britain in his second Olympic Games alongside the rest of the men's artistic gymnastics
11:42 team in Paris this summer. I spoke to him about the Olympic mindset, the future of his
11:47 career and his pet chickens. All of that coming up after this break.
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15:09 Hello and welcome back to Invicta Sport live on KMTV. Now today marks 186 days to the start of the Paris Olympics and Kent's competing athletes are already in preparation for a big year ahead.
15:22 One of them, Maidstone's James Hall, is about to take part in his second Games where he's hoping to go one step further than in 2021 and get his hands on a medal as part of the Team GB men's artistic gymnastics squad.
15:35 I went down to Pegasus Gymnastics Club in Maidstone to see what a day in the life of an Olympian looks like.
15:41 Born in Australia but made an Olympian in Maidstone. This year James Hall is hoping to take part in his second Olympic Games as part of Team GB's men's artistic gymnastics squad.
15:56 It comes after he helped the country qualify for the Games back in 2022. However he says this year's Olympics could be his last.
16:04 I think from a lengthy career I've managed to garner quite a lot of experience and over the years it's kind of helped me keep a cool head and yeah it'll be full on but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
16:15 I think this will probably be one of the last years of my career. I'm getting a bit old now but my body's starting to feel it.
16:22 But I'm ready for the challenge and I think as you get a little bit older you think you know what this is less about just making a team but you know fulfilling my potential whatever that may be and giving it my all.
16:32 James spoke to me just before a mid-week training session at his home club Pegasus. For an onlooker it was incredible to see the sheer potential of the unassisted human body at peak fitness.
16:44 For James however every one of these sessions means mastering the routine that will secure his spot on the squad in Paris.
16:51 Gymnastics isn't just a sport or a hobby it's a lifestyle. It's kind of one of those things that as soon as you finish a session you can't just switch off.
16:58 You go home you think about it and we're into the competition season now and that means practicing your routines that you do for the competition.
17:05 And at the moment they're a little bit rough around the edges we've still got time so any repairs that need doing or bits that need working on.
17:12 So lots of flying around bars and somersaults.
17:17 James first arrived at the club at the tender age of just six in 2002 and almost 20 years on made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
17:27 And it's safe to say that he's become a staple of the club's family.
17:31 I ended up working with James from the age of seven. It was 2002. He was a youngster full of enthusiasm, full of beans.
17:41 The work we've done together, especially James, has been a role model to not just coaches around here, but to the club, to members, to all the youngsters.
17:51 And indirectly and sometimes directly it's coaching them and mentoring them. And it's a very positive influence on everyone.
17:58 So with the hope of an Olympic summer ahead of him, James Hall will have to stretch, spin and somersault to the best of his abilities in order to make his Olympic dream come true.
18:09 Bartholomew Hall for KMTV in Maidstone.
18:12 And what an incredible man James was. It was great to sit down with him before that training session to really just pick apart what goes through the mind of an Olympian preparing for such a big year.
18:24 Now, as well as gymnastics, of course, we also spoke about moving to the UK from Australia as a toddler, as well as chickens of all things. Here's our full chat.
18:33 James, thank you very much for joining us today. Thank you for welcoming me into Pegasus to your home. It's the Olympic year now. What does the next few months look like for you?
18:44 Yeah, I think naturally it's going to be a stressful time, but I've got a lot of experience. I think from a lengthy career I've managed to garner quite a lot of experience.
18:54 And over the years it's kind of helped me keep a cool head. And yeah, it will be full on, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
19:01 And I think this will probably be one of the last years of my career. I'm getting a bit old now, but my body's starting to feel it.
19:08 But I'm ready for the challenge. And I think as you get a little bit older, you think, you know what, this is less about just making a team, but fulfilling my potential, whatever that may be, and giving it my all.
19:18 You've had quite a few international competitions, but of course, it's only your second Olympics. What did you learn from the first time around that you can bring with you this time?
19:26 I think no matter what we do, we're always analysing. And that might be in the club with my coach or with my teammates that were at the Games, or teammates that might make the Games.
19:36 We're always talking strategy about how we can get a team medal, how we can get individual medals. And I think for me, my approach this time will again be to leave no stone unturned.
19:47 And I think that has always been my motto to give everything I can give, whether it's in the gym or out the gym. But yeah, it'll be all guns blazing. So I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready for the challenge.
19:58 Is there any sense of some sort of weight that's been lifted off your shoulder in a bit that you're coming back for a second time?
20:03 Yeah, I think a career goal for me ever since I was little, as far back as I can remember, it was Olympic Games.
20:11 It was never a medal or this type of medal, this colour, because winning for me has never been about gold, silver or bronze.
20:17 It's been about, again, giving my all and trying to inspire others, no matter what age they are, to go for their dreams as well.
20:25 So yeah, the weight's not so much on my shoulders, but again, I hold myself to high account, so we'll see what we can do.
20:32 You mentioned there being a youngster. You've been here for most of your life, really, since you started gymnastics. What would you say to that six or seven year old who first stepped foot in this place?
20:42 I think, yeah, go for your dreams. I mean, it's never going to be smooth sailing. It's going to be tough. You're going to have the highs and the lows.
20:51 Sometimes there'll be more of one than the other and it will chop and change, but I think as long as you keep the love in the sport and realise that you're doing this because you love it and not for money, not for this, not for that, it's a beautiful sport.
21:05 I'd say that to my younger self and I'd say that to any youngster coming up.
21:09 You actually, your family moved here from Australia before, so what was it like growing up in Maidstone? Do you still have those family links back to Australia?
21:17 Yeah, we've got a couple of family members that still live over there. I guess the trade-off was the weather.
21:24 But yeah, Maidstone's been my home for 26 years now and it's been brilliant. I've got such a close-knit community here with family, friends and of course the club is both of those things to me.
21:36 I count myself very lucky. I think it's rare for an athlete to start at a club and see it all the way through to the end.
21:43 You walk through the door here now and you're the first face that you see. There's a big board there from obviously the Tokyo Games.
21:48 The family here, how much is that woven into the walls?
21:54 Again, I think it's so rare to have what we have in the sense that we started in what I call it the shed.
22:00 It was such a tiny gym back in, it was founded in the 90s. It used to be in Victor Grammar School, just in a sports hall, you know, the kind of set up where you get the equipment out, have your training session and then put it away at the end.
22:14 That was before my time, so I was lucky enough to come into it when we had a building.
22:18 Growing from where we were back then to where we are now is just incredible and we've kept that family feel.
22:25 I want to talk about that bronze medal in Liverpool in 2022. What did that mean to you?
22:30 For me it was hard fought. I think for the whole team it was a dogfight out there.
22:37 It was a brilliant competition and we went through so much to get there.
22:41 I think for me, not that I never believed that I'd be a world medallist, but I always knew it would be a mammoth-sized task to surmount.
22:51 I think there were videos and pictures of me on the competition floor when the scores came in and we were in the bronze position.
22:57 All the energy was sucked out of me and I was just a wreck on the floor. It was one of my most special achievements to date.
23:05 And of course, ninth in the top ten at Belgium last year as well. What would it mean to you if you were able to get a medal this year?
23:13 I feel like that is the epitome of every athlete's career and to walk away with a medal from Paris Olympics would mean the world.
23:22 I've enjoyed my career and I regret nothing and I can hardly ask for anything more.
23:27 But if there was one thing, that would be the icing on the cake.
23:31 I've heard a lot of athletes say that Paris is going to be the closest we're having to a home since London and potentially for a few more years to come.
23:40 Does that make it that extra bit special?
23:42 Yeah, I mean it's a stone's throw.
23:44 And when I got north to the training centre, the guys were always joking that we're so far down south we might as well be French.
23:51 I think it's so close, people can hop on a train and come and support us and I know that they will.
23:57 It will just be incredible. So accessible, I can't wait.
24:01 Well, best of luck. Before we wrap up, I just want to know what is the day in the life for you in an Olympic year?
24:07 I think for me, like I said, it's a very stressful year.
24:12 So finding those little wins that you can take to take your mind off of the gym.
24:16 Gymnastics isn't just a sport or a hobby, it's a lifestyle.
24:20 It's kind of one of those things that as soon as you finish a session you can't just switch off.
24:23 You go home, you think about it and that can be a recipe for overthinking.
24:27 So I think looking after my chickens, walking my dogs, whatever that may be, just keeping myself distracted.
24:33 Chickens, that's fantastic. What's the story there? Have you always had chickens?
24:37 Yeah, well my mum and dad have always kept chickens and mum's always been one for rescue hens and she's had a few.
24:43 She called me one day and said "There's some rescue hens going, do you want some?"
24:48 That was midweek and by the weekend I had chickens, so that was that.
24:52 [Gunshot]
24:54 Ah, chickens, incredible.
25:06 Well we'll be following James's journey and the rest of our Olympians as we get closer to Paris this summer of course.
25:11 Now just a quick reminder, if you want to appear in this week's edition of Action Replay on Friday,
25:16 then make sure to send in your clips now.
25:18 It's the segment of course where we feature pictures and videos of you, the KMTV audience, taking part in sport.
25:23 Whatever it is you do, we'll show it here on the show.
25:26 Just tag us on social media @KMTVKent or send us an email to sport@kmtv.co.uk.
25:32 Make sure to tell us though what part of Kent you come from and what it is you do.
25:37 And on Friday's episode we'll be following all the latest with Maidstone United as they prepare for their big FA Cup tie against Ipswich.
25:46 But also you can keep up to date with all the latest football news by reading Kent Online.
25:51 You can also have your weekly digest of non-league news from around the county sent directly to your email inbox.
25:57 Just search Kent Online email alerts and sign up on the website for all the latest written transfer news, match reports and interviews.
26:05 Plus there's plenty more email alerts to choose from too, including all the latest Gillingham FC news too.
26:11 Just make sure to sign up on the line.
26:15 That's it, that's full time. That's today's episode of Invicta Sport all done and dusted.
26:20 If you want more from KMTV you can watch all our other special programmes.
26:24 We've got the Kent Politics Show, Made in Kent, Kent on Climate and the Kent Film Club.
26:29 All you can visit and watch them all by visiting our website, kmtv.co.uk.
26:34 As I said, I'll be back on Friday with more sport from across the county. But for now, goodbye.
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