Father-to-be Sean Vendy is heading to his second Olympics with a fresh sense of perspective as he bids for glory with long-standing men’s doubles partner Ben Lane.
Vendy, 28, found out in March that his partner Shannon was expecting their first child.
He told Lane on the day they flew to the Swiss Open and they went on to win the competition, the highest-profile trophy the duo have lifted.
That triumph has reinforced their belief they can mix it with the world’s best in Paris but Vendy will cross the Channel knowing the outcome is not the be-all and end-all.
“It (fatherhood) definitely sits in the back of my head at all times,” said Vendy.
“When things are getting really tough in training and I’m thinking ‘I don’t have a lot left here’, you remind yourself that you’re not just doing it for yourself anymore, you’re doing it for someone else.
“It does change your mindset and your perspective. This isn’t everything anymore, I have something else on the horizon which is one of the biggest things you can do in life.”
Well arrived in #Paris2024 😍🤩 Only a few more days before the action starts 🔥#TeamGB #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/Lt1npv1GMq
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) July 23, 2024
Lane is ready to play the role of honorary uncle to Vendy’s new arrival come November but only after the pair have taken the next on-court step on a journey which started when they joined forces aged 12.
“I don’t know what it’s like to have kids myself but when you’re in sport, it can be quite selfish sometimes and you are always trying to do better for yourself or a partnership,” he said.
“When something like that comes along, it just reminds you there are bigger things than badminton.”
Britain have won three Olympic badminton medals since the sport made its debut at Barcelona ’92 and the pair don’t have to look too far for inspiration as their coach Nathan Robertson was responsible for one of them alongside Gail Emms in Athens.
“We linked up with Nathan nearly 10 years ago, when we were 18 or 19, and his big project was to take us to Paris,” Lane said.
“He’s been to multiple multi-sport games, won World Championship gold and an Olympic silver, and having that knowledge to tap into can only be positive.
“He’s a great player, he helps us on and off court and he feels like more than a coach.”
Vendy added: “His Olympic medal was one of the things that inspired me to play.
“I watched that final on TV as someone who was into badminton but that made me really into it. That match inspired me to take it very seriously.”
He has done just that and now travels with confidence that he and Lane can trouble anyone on their day.
They open up against Tokyo bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik on Saturday morning before taking on world number one pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang the following day.
“I don’t think either of us lack much in confidence and the Swiss Open has given us even more belief,” Vendy said.
“We always have that no fear attitude, we think we can beat anyone. That helps us get over the line sometimes.
“I feel like we’ve progressed a lot as players and as people since Tokyo, which didn’t feel like it should have – there were no fans there, or friends and family.
“This time, it will hopefully feel like a home Games and we can’t wait.”
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Lane and Vendy are joined in the travelling Team GB squad by Kirsty Gilmour, who is appearing at her third Games.
Gilmour has been drawn against He Bingjiao and Azerbaijan’s Keisha Fatimah Azzahra in Group N of the women’s singles.
“With the first one (Rio), you want to squeeze everything out of it,” she said.
“Tokyo was a bit strange circumstances so for this one, I’m just trying to be super confident in all my preparations to be able to play with some freedom and a relatively relaxed outlook.
“In major championships, people can get really bogged down in what might happen or what might not happen. You could have the best week of your life so allowing for the possibility of that is super important.”