Main content

Professor Nick Webborn, Chair of the British Paralympic Association

Professor Nick Webborn, Chair of the British Paralympic Association and Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine, shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren Laverne.

Professor Nick Webborn has chaired the British Paralympic Association since 2017. He is a world-leading expert on Paralympic sports medicine and the most widely-published author on the subject. He has attended 11 Paralympic and one Olympic Games.

He was born in Swansea in 1956, trained as a doctor in London and joined the RAF as a junior medical officer. In 1981 he was playing in an RAF rugby match when a mistimed opposition tackle left him with a severe spinal injury. After many months of treatment and rehabilitation, which he now describes as 'long and tortuous,' he wanted to return to work in medicine, but found that there was a reluctance to employ a doctor with a disability.

He worked as a GP and also pursued an interest in sports medicine, leading to research in this area and an academic role. When he saw the medical support available for Olympic athletes, he felt strongly that para-athletes deserved the same level of specialist help - especially as many also had to deal with underlying problems that their Olympic peers did not face. His pioneering research has made Paralympic sport safer for athletes, and has driven the development of sports medicine in areas such as rehabilitation. He also represented Great Britain in wheelchair tennis in 2005.

Nick is Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Brighton.

DISC ONE: Heroes by David Bowie
DISC TWO: Hallelujah, composed by George Frideric Handel, performed by London Musici Chamber Choir and London Musici Orchestra, conducted by Mark Stephenson
DISC THREE: Jamaica Farewell by Nina and Frederik
DISC FOUR: Will Ye Go Lassie Go by The Corries
DISC FIVE: For Crying out Loud by Meat Loaf
DISC SIX: This is Me by Keala Settle
DISC SEVEN: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
DISC EIGHT: You鈥檒l Never Walk Alone by Gerry & the Pacemakers

BOOK CHOICE: The Complete Works of Charles Dickens
LUXURY ITEM: Nick鈥檚 adapted Segway, with a built-in espresso machine
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: This is Me by Keala Settle

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor

Available now

38 minutes

Last on

Fri 4 Mar 2022 09:00
麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Anne Tyler, writer

Next

Oti Mabuse, dancer

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • David Bowie

    'Heroes'

    • Nothing Has Changed: The Very Best Of Bowie.
    • Parlophone Records LTD.
    • 17.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Hallelujah

    Conductor: Mark Stephenson. Choir: London Musici Chamber Choir. Orchestra: London Musici Orchestra.
    • Handel: Messiah Highlights.
    • Conifer Classics.
    • CDCF 506.
    • 19.

  • Nina & Frederik

    Jamaica Farewell

    • Formula For Love.
    • Success.
    • 4.

  • The Corries

    Will Ye Go Lassie Go

    • The Best Of The Corries.
    • Pickwick.
    • 4.

  • Meat Loaf

    For Crying out Loud

    • Piece of the Action: The Best Of Meat Loaf.
    • Sony Music Entertainment.
    • 9.

  • Keala Settle

    This is Me

    • The Greatest Showman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • Atlantic Records.
    • 7.

  • Neil Diamond

    Sweet Caroline

    • Sweet Caroline.
    • Geffen.
    • 13.

  • Gerry and the Pacemakers

    You'll Never Walk Alone

    • 20 Year Anniversary Album.
    • Angel Air.
    • 1.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 Feb 2022 11:00
    麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4
  • Fri 4 Mar 2022 09:00
    麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast