A young boy from Watford with aspirations to compete in the Paralympics was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience this week when he met para-athletes at an event in London.
Eight-year-old Jack Latham has Cerebral Palsy.
Although children are not typically allowed at the show, Jack, his twin sister Rebecca who also has the same condition, and their parents, were invited along to Elevate - the UK’s largest cross-sector event focused on tackling physical inactivity.
Jack met several top para-athletics including Mike Goody, the four-time Invictus Games gold medallist swimmer, Vanessa Wallace, Rio Paralympic finalist, and former Olympian Greg Whyte to hear their stories and gain some inspiration.
While on his tour of the show, Jack was able to trial a number of activities, including visiting the Rugged Interactive stand where he was told his school had been gifted a personalised compact cardio wall.
Jack’s Mum Caroline said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to Elevate, an experience I'm sure Jack and Rebecca will never forget.
“It was very rewarding to see them both having such a great time trialling lots of fun and innovative products to encourage physical activity.
“Meeting such inspirational figures, including an Invictus Games gold medallist, will only inspire Jack further to chase his dreams and realise anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”
Ceri Davies, wish granter at Starlight Children’s Foundation, comments: “It was fantastic for us to be able to work with Elevate and Aspire to give Jack the opportunity to come to a show such as this and help make his Starlight Wish a reality.
“You could see just how much the day meant to the whole family and everyone has been incredibly supportive and generous in their time and donations.”
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