Sports
Breakout season for national para table tennis champion
WEYMOUTH table tennis player Thomas Hepburn is enjoying a breakthrough season on the local, national and international stage.
The Weymouth & District Table Tennis League (WDTTL) competitor, representing Preston A, has balanced an intense schedule of training and competition while earning a place in the GB Para Table Tennis Pathway Squad. This year he has also been formally classified by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), allowing him to compete at international level.
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Hepburn trains extensively, attending sessions twice a week at Bournemouth Sports Table Tennis Club under former international para player Simon Heaps, in addition to additional sessions at Preston Club. He also regularly travels to Sheffield for GB Para training at the English Institute of Sport.
(Image: Chris Rayner)
His growing commitment has already taken him across Europe in 2026, competing in the Malmo Para Open in Sweden and an ITTF Para Futures event in Costa Brava, Spain. More tournaments in the Czech Republic and Finland are planned in the coming months as he looks to climb the world rankings.
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The highlight of his season to date was the Mark Bates Senior National Table Tennis Championships England, where he claimed the Class 2-5 wheelchair title, becoming national champion.
Hepburn recorded back-to-back 3–0 wins on the first day over Jack Silberton and Dave Lawrence to reach the final, where he faced Nathan Drayner. In a closely fought match, Hepburn came through 3-1 to win 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3.
“I kept my composure and consistently played the way I had to to win,” he said. “Nathan Drayner played really well and made it difficult for me. If one of my shots was out of place, I knew a tetra (up and down) was coming.
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“I am proud of how the event went and am already looking forward to next year. This victory would not have been possible without the support of the people around me.”
He also paid tribute to his coaches, adding: “Special thanks to Nick Heaps for coaching me and being in my corner throughout the event, and to Simon Heaps who coached me several times a week.”
Hepburn is now looking ahead to the return of the WDTTL season in the fall and exploring opportunities to compete in Germany next year to broaden his experience against other wheelchair players.
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He also acknowledged the financial challenges of competing at this level, with annual costs of around £20,000.
Apart from a SportsAid grant, Hepburn is largely self-funded and relies on sponsorship and donations to support his training, equipment and travel.
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