A Bingley physiotherapist will be hoping to play a part in Paralympic glory this summer.

Ian Blackburn will once again be the lead physio for the Great Britain Paralympic basketball team, a role he has held since 2004.

The 36-year-old, originally from Norwich, combines that job with running the Elite Physiotherapy Clinic at Cottingley, near Bingley, as well as lecturing in physiotherapy at Leeds Met.

His clientele includes top-level sportsmen from football and rugby league, as well as Olympic medallists and cycling champions.

He said: “We have a pool of physios across the elite (basketball) team and I oversee that. I’m sure they’ll be medal contenders - they won bronze in Beijing and Athens.

“Obviously we just try and keep everyone in a fit and healthy state. We provide the team with 24-hour medical cover and support but mainly we deal with any problems that may occur during the event.

“I’ve been involved with them since 2004. Prior to that I worked with the Paralympic guys and some track athletes and I’ve been to some World Championships and the Tour de France.

“It sounds glamorous, and don’t get me wrong it’s not just a job to me and I’m extremely passionate about it, but it doesn’t matter to me whether I’m treating a gold medallist or someone running a 5k fun run.”

Blackburn admits his involvement with sport can be a double-edged sword, providing a lengthy but demanding list of customers.

He said: “My passion lies with the clinical side, which provides a nice contrast to the academia, even though it can be a bit frustrating at times.

“My trade is completely based on word of mouth, which is great in one way because you’re always dealing with like-minded individuals but they all want to be seen by the man who they were recommended to, so it can be difficult to meet the demand. I’m pretty much at saturation point now.”

He is assisted at the practice by Ben Grange, who also combines work there with a job at Burnley General Hospital.

Bradford-born Grange, 34, is a former Bradford and Bingley flanker and will be joining Blackburn at the Paralympic Games.

He acknowledges the advantages in physiotherapy, having played sport himself in the past. He added: “It helps if you’ve played sport yourself because you’ve had injuries yourself and you know how to recover from them and the timescale it will take.

“I’ve suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury myself, which was pretty nasty. That kept me out for 18 months.”