Jake Ballestrino

Jake Ballestrino
Jake Ballestrino in 2019
Personal information
NicknameJakey B
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-07-27) 27 July 1991 (age 33)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportTable Tennis
ClubGeelong Table Tennis Association

Jake Ballestrino (born 27 July 1991) is an Australian Paralympic table tennis player. He represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[1]

Personal

Ballestrino was born on 27 July 1991.[2] From birth he has an upper limb deficiency or a bilateral deformation of the upper limbs.[3] He is a graphic artist, having completed an Advanced Diploma in Interactive Digital media.[3] In 2021, he is a Community Educator at Scope Australia.[2]

Table tennis

He is classified as a C7 Para-table tennis player. He started as a right-hander but changed to left hand after he broke his arm. He took up Para-table tennis in 2012 and first represented Australia in 2013.[2]

In 2017, he won the silver medal in the Men's Singles C6 class at the Oceania Championships.[2]

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, he lost three matches in the Men's C7 and with Trevor Hirth lost in the quarter-finals of Men's Team C6-7.[4]

He has played for the Laverton Magpies Football Club and softball for the Pirates in Werribee where he also coaches and umpires.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ "Para-Table Tennis Squad's Tokyo Build-Up A 'Brilliant Example Of Teamwork'". Paralympics Australia. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Jake Ballestrino". Paralympics Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Inspirational Jake is breaking down barriers". Sport Inclusion Australia. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Jake Ballestrino". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Jake has Rio in his sights". Star Community. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2021.