Blog: "RaceRunning has helped me to believe in myself"
Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday. This year we have been sharing experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels. Today, we hear from young Team CP England athlete Thomas, as he prepares to compete in RaceRunning at the Cerebral Palsy World Games 2018 in Spain next week.
Hi, my name is Thomas and I’m 14 years old. I have cerebral palsy diaplegia which affects both of my legs, my right arm and has a small impact on my vision. I use a Kaye walker to move around and sometimes use my wheelchair.
I love taking part in athletics and especially RaceRunning. If you haven’t heard of it before, RaceRunning is an exciting sport for disabled people with impaired balance. Athletes use a three wheeled trike (RaceRunner) with a saddle and no pedals to propel themselves forward. My RaceRunner has a chest plate and strap that enables me to run. I train for RaceRunning twice a week at my local athletics club and also do training on my treadmill at home to build strength and stamina.
I saw RaceRunning for the first time in 2013 and I just loved the look of it and wanted to give it a go. I badgered my parents and they finally took me to a RaceRunning taster session with national charity, Cerebral Palsy Sport. I fell in love with it and wanted to start training for competitions straight away. My mum and dad then helped me to fundraise so I could get a RaceRunner of my own and I took part in my first competition in Manchester in early 2014.
Taking part in competitions is great. I get to travel to lots of different places, meet new people who are just like me and catch up with my friends. I sometimes get nervous before races, especially when I’m running against athletes that are much older and stronger than me. I always try my hardest and really enjoy it when I do well, especially if I break one of my personal bests.
RaceRunning makes me feel so free and being active has definitely helped me in everyday life. In January 2017, I had major hip surgery and had to learn how to walk again. I used my RaceRunner as part of my physiotherapy to build my strength and stamina back up. Off the running track, RaceRunning has helped me to believe in myself and I am now much more confident at school.
I was recently selected to race for Team CP England at the Cerebral Palsy World Games 2018. It is my first World Games and I am the youngest RaceRunner in the England squad, so I just want to go out there and do the best I can in all my races. I would absolutely love to win a medal but the competition will be tough. I’m just so excited to wear my Team CP England kit and represent my country.
I couldn’t do what I do without the incredible support of my mum, dad, my little brother and the rest of my family and friends. They have been with me through the really tough times and it means so much to have their support. They take me to training and are there to support me at all my competitions.
My advice to other young disabled people who want to be more active is that’s really important to try different activities and find out what you like or love doing. I tried quite a few sports before I found RaceRunning. Sport can give you so much, it has really built my confidence and made me believe in myself. The most important thing is to enjoy it and have lots of fun. The training can be hard work but the rewards are awesome!
