Aaron Phipps: GB wheelchair rugby player comes out of retirement in Tokyo 2020 bid

Wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps has come out of retirement in an attempt to make his second Paralympic Games appearance.

The 35-year-old, who helped ParalympicsGB to fifth place at London 2012, says that the decision to return was tough, but came at the right time.

Having left the sport five and a half years ago, Phipps sourced motivation for his comeback from his two daughters, stating how special it would be to enjoy a first Paralympics alongside them in Tokyo.

"To be there, to win a medal and have my family there supporting me would be out of this world," he told BBC South Today.

Not a simple return

Despite a call from his national team, Phipps told how he "had to go back through trials" and get himself fit again, even if there are days where "you are not feeling great and have to dig deep and get through the session".

Returning to international duty against Japan, Phipps revealed how he "took a big hit and came flying out the chair", settling him straight back into the brutality of 'murderball'.

Phipps, from Totton, near Southampton, knows that the journey to Tokyo will not be an easy one, admitting there are times when "everything seems harder than it should be".

He has been selected for the Wheelchair Rugby World Championship, which begins on Sunday, 5 August.