INCREDI-BALL

Skipper tackles his disability

CHRIS Young has become captain of his rugby team despite being born without his right forearm.

The 27-year-old not only leads his side but has also taken them to third in their league.

A sports lover from an early age, Chris has played both football and rugby since his teens. Playing both wing and full back positions, he was at first worried the club would not accept his disability.

But he has proved he can drop-kick, scrum and ruck and maul with the best of them.

The travel agent said: “Not having an arm has limited certain opportunities in life as people don’t want to take a gamble on me.

“It has not held me back, only changed my path.

“The challenges I face every day are mainly from people not believing in me.

I feel I have to achieve something better than expected just to be considered as a real credit to a team, so that’s what I set out to do.

“When I first started playing rugby for the club I was really nervous because I didn’t know how everyone would react, but both the club and players have always been so supportive of me.”

Chris, who captains Selby Fours in North Yorks, went on: “I’m a player with room for improvement on my fitness but with some good attributes. “People’s perception of a disability is the biggest obstacle for anyone with a disability.

“All disabled means to me is that you are unable to do certain things as well or as easily as a person without a disability.

“The only thing that will stop you achieving whatever you want is yourself.” The skipper, from Leeds, added: “I think that this generation are a lot more inclusive and accepting of disabilities than when I was growing up.”