Oscar's Story
Oscar's Story
Oscar achieved his dream of becoming an athlete at the London Youth Games but he didn’t always have competitive opportunities available to him.
Oscar has a rare disability called spinocerebellar atrophy and ataxia. It affects his speech and mobility. He uses a wheelchair over long distances.
Growing up, he found it difficult to find competitive outlets for sport. At primary school, he wasn’t able to make it on to any of the football or cricket teams, and things weren’t much different in secondary school, until a PE teacher introduced him to the London Youth Games.
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Over the course of the next 5 years, Oscar competed across multiple sports. In his final year, he won Gold in the 200m, racing without his wheelchair.
Oscar credits his time with the London Youth Games for making him more aware of the positive impact sport and keeping fit can have on your physical and mental wellbeing.
However, the greatest benefits Oscar says he has gained from the London Youth Games are the friendships he has made and the feeling that he is not alone and part of a wider community.
London Youth Games helped foster Oscar’s love of sport and his competitive spirit. He currently plays for the Surrey Disability Cricket team and is aiming to make it onto the England team one day.