University of California’s Santa Barbara campus announced as ParalympicsGB prep camp for LA 2028

ParalympicsGB will be based at the University of California’s renowned Santa Barbara campus ahead of the LA 2028 Paralympic Games in what is expected to be one of the team’s biggest ever Preparation Camps, after contracts were signed on Friday 21 November.

David Clarke, Chief Executive Officer at ParalympicsGB and Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for LA 2028 were on hand alongside UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis to rubber stamp the agreement which allows ParalympicsGB use of the university’s world-class facilities in the build-up to the LA 2028 Paralympic Games, which take place from 15 – 27 August that year.

ParalympicsGB were represented in 19 of the 22 sports at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with Para climbing added to the programme for LA 2028. The vast majority of sports that are selected to represent the British team are likely to spend time at UCSB prior to competing at the Games, with a number of the sports’ performance leads having already enjoyed informative and productive visits to the campus and surrounding area.

Located on the spectacular Pacific coast around 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, UCSB’s picturesque campus spans 1,055 acres and is home to around 24,600 students with an impressive roster of alumni, including eight Nobel Prize winners, Academy Award-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas, NBA winner Brian Shaw and Olympic swimming gold medallist Jason Lezak.

ParalympicsGB will have access to four sports halls, four weight rooms, 12 tennis courts, two swimming pools, multiple studios and meeting spaces and the Pauley athletics track among UCSB Recreation’s state-of-the-art sports facilities, as well as Campus Point beach, on-site accessible housing, lounges and dining facilities – all of which require no modifications for disabled access.

The wide variety of facilities available - all connected by an accessible network of roads, paths and cycleways - means more ParalympicsGB sports than ever before will have the opportunity to be based in one venue ahead of the Games.

ParalympicsGB CEO David Clarke said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to call UC Santa Barbara home for the British team as our all-important Preparation Camp in the build-up to the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

“We first visited the UC Santa Barbara campus over two years ago and were immediately struck not only by the incredible facilities, but by the friendly, welcoming environment not just at the university but in the wider community too. Of course, accessibility is key to so much of what we do, and I am particularly pleased that this is also at the heart of UC Santa Barbara’s culture, with its Disabled Students Program, local disability sports groups, accessible changing rooms, dining and accommodation all readily available. I believe ParalympicsGB’s athletes and staff will thrive here and I look forward to further developing our relationship with the university in the coming months and years.”

UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis said: “As we look ahead to the summer of 2028, we are immensely excited to be the host campus, the training and preparation ground, for ParalympicsGB on their journey to the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

“This partnership is a profound opportunity. It allows us to open our doors and our facilities to some of the planet’s most inspiring athletes. It is a chance for our students, our staff, and our community to witness their preparation first-hand. It is a moment for us to champion inclusion, access, and the high performance that defines the Paralympic Movement.”