During his college years, Ayaz struggled to cope with his disability. During this period he was very inactive, became overweight and had little confidence. To help him overcome these issues, Ayaz started playing Wheelchair Basketball where his self-confidence improved over time. Wheelchair Basketball is a non-contact sport, something Ayaz never really grasped as he became accustomed to getting sent off pretty much every game!
Shortly after getting involved with Wheelchair Basketball Ayaz was scouted by Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby. To qualify to play Wheelchair Rugby the participant has to have an impairment in 3 or 4 limbs. It is also the only full contact Paralympic sport; something which caught Ayaz’s attention. After several months of training, Ayaz was called up to represent GB in a Four Nations tournament in Australia. It was after this tournament that Ayaz was told that he probably wouldn’t have a career internationally.
Despite this setback, Ayaz continued training and two years later he was selected for the GB Development team to compete at a tournament in Prague where he was named in the All Star team. After this, Ayaz was re-called into the GB Elite team and on his return tournament he was named in the All Star team. Since his return, Ayaz has become a double European Champion, competed at two World Championships (one where he was voted the Fan’s Most Valuable Player) and competed in his first Paralympics in Rio 2016. Ayaz is currently in training for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics where he hopes to fulfill his dream of winning a Paralympic medal