When Da Chen graduated from the University of Bristol in 2023, he took home with him more than a master’s degree. As a disabled person, he discovered the sport of snooker and was determined to bring its inclusivity and enjoyment back to Asia.
At 21, a spinal cord tumour changed Chen’s life, and he spent years in rehabilitation and rebuilding independence. But over time, he realised that disability could also be a starting point, a way to understand resilience and create change.
That led him to the UK, where he studied an MSC in Education, specialising in Inclusive Education, at the University of Bristol as a Chevening Scholar.
Since completing his master’s degree in 2023, Da Chen has become a powerful advocate for disability inclusion in China, using sport, education and his own lived experience to inspire others, build confidence and expand opportunities.
Whilst studying, he discovered World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS), an organisation that promotes equality through sport, and began competing in tournaments. At one point, he reached number six in the world rankings.
Chen said: “Through tournaments, I experienced the true inclusivity of snooker, a sport where players with and without disabilities compete on the same table, under the same rules, without any special adaptations. That equality inspired me deeply. I wanted to bring this sport to Asia, where it had never been played by disabled athletes before.”
Inspired by the sport, Chen worked to bring the sport to China and launched the first WDBS Shanghai Disability Snooker Invitational in September 2023, where over 30 players took part.
He has since helped to organise other WDBS events in Asia, including the first-ever World Disability Snooker Championship in Bangkok in 2025, and has launched free training sessions in Shanghai, helping new wheelchair users gain confidence and community through sport.
In January 2026, Chen demonstrated the global inclusivity of snooker to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a reception organised by the UK Department for Business and Trade, which celebrated British business.
He has also been invited by companies including Nike, Saint-Gobain, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to deliver inclusion awareness workshops for employees.
Chen reconnected with the University of Bristol community as the keynote speaker at its China Graduation Celebration on Saturday, 21 March 2026, held at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong. Drawing on his journey from student to advocate, he delivered an inspiring address that encouraged new graduates to embrace inclusion, lead with empathy, and recognise the power of education to spark meaningful change.
Chen said: “My UK education didn’t just give me knowledge – it gave me a vision of inclusion in action. Inclusion wasn’t treated as a theory – it was lived every day.
“My campus was fully accessible, my professors encouraged open discussion, and my classmates came from diverse backgrounds. Everyone’s voice mattered. That atmosphere taught me that inclusion is not only about removing physical barriers, but also about changing attitudes.”
Professor Michele Acuto, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said: “Da’s story is a powerful example of how the Bristol experience stays with our graduates long after they leave campus. We’re incredibly proud to see how he has taken the values of inclusion and community that shaped his time here and turned them into meaningful, lasting change. His work continues to inspire all of us who believe in the positive impact education can have on the world.”
