I've raised £5500 to Support Ruben’s Wheelchair Tennis training so he can fulfill his dream of becoming part of team GB in the 2020 Disability School Games
Organised by Lissa Harris
Story
I am just like other 12 year old boys, I want to play, run, join clubs and play sport but the deformity in my feet and the pain I suffer restricts my mobility. I discovered wheelchair Tennis January 2018 I loved it staight away.
I started playing at Canterbury Tennis Club at Polo Farm, I began to follow the British wheelchair players in competitions and watching as much tennis on TV as I could.
I wanted to learn to be like the players on the TV, Mum organised for me to have regular one to one lessons, I was using a massive wheelchair but I was learning loads. In July ’18, I was invited to play at the British Junior Wheelchair Open in Nottingham, the LTA lent me with a lovely little wheelchair to take home and practice in and even better I met my idols Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt.
Having my own Wheelchair meant that I could practice as much as I wanted to, I go to the park with my brothers or have a knock about with friends at school. For the first time I was able to play a sport as an equal.
After being born with Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (more commonly known as Club Feet), I have spent my first 12 years in and out of hospitals having treatments and surgeries. All of which have been unsucessful. I have been left with very painful and still very wonky feet. In 2018 I made the decision to have a Symes dis-articulation (amputation) carried out on my right foot. Its amazing now, I can do so much more with out being in pain all the time.
Playing tennis helped me both physically and mentally to get over my surgery, I had some really rubbish low times and getting back on court and focusing on my tennis helped me to become more confident with the new look me. Over the winter I joined in with the able bodied squads at my local tennis centre (so have made loads of new friends), this gave me such a confidence boost. The other kids dont see my disability when im on court, it‘s all about what I can do not what I can‘t, it is the best feeling ever.
All the training obviously payed off, as in April Mum had an email telling her that I had been selected to join the LTAs Junior Future Potential Program. I now go to the National Tennis Centre for extra training camps, my coach is an ex-paralympian, I feel very lucky and proud of myself, I am one of just seven children to be picked this year.
This was a long term goal never something i thought would happen so soon.
I have been to a few competitions this year, I don’t win all my games yet but every time I go out I learn a bit more about the game and bring home things i want to improve about my game.
My goal for 2020 is to play at the Disability School Games Team Tennis event, only four boys are picked to represent each area of Great Britain. Teams of children from England (South and North), Ireland, Scotland and Wales come together to compete for their region.
