I’LL DO IT FOR DAD
Bevan reveals Olympic vow made to late father
BRINN BEVAN intends to fulfil the vow he made to his dying dad.
The 19-year-old was last week selected for the British men’s gymnastics squad at the Rio Olympics.
Seven years ago he promised his dad Jamie he would make it to the Olympics, as his father lay dying from myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells.
“My dad and mum supported me in everything I wanted to do,” he said. “Growing up, they put me into gymnastics.
Promise
“On my dad’s deathbed I made a promise to him that I would get to an Olympic Games.
“My exact words were I would go to an Olympics and do my absolute best to come away with a medal.
“He died on November 16, 2009. I have that date tattooed on the left side of my body in Roman numerals – that way it’s close to my heart. Dad meant the world to me. ® Sometimes you don’t do stuff for yourself in life but for your family.
“When you’re doing it for other people it gives you that extra bit of strength.
“People summon the strength to do stuff they otherwise couldn’t in times of need and this has definitely been a time of need for me.
“My dad would be very proud of what I have achieved. It’s just a shame he can’t be here to see it.”
Twice in the past two years, his Olympic dream appeared to be over. The Essex gymnast, who trains with pommel horse world champion Max Whitlock, suffered three stress fractures in his back in 2014.
Then, weeks after winning team silver at the 2015 world championships, he needed emergency surgery after a double-leg break.
“I completely missed the matting and landed on the concrete and my leg just snapped,” he said.
“Both my tibia and fibula completely snapped. It was so painful.
“The doctors who operated on me said it was my Rio dream over. Some of the nurses said, ‘Career over’.
“I was devastated. I was in tears. No-one wants to hear that your big dream is over.
“But giving up was never an option for me.
“I have always believed in life that, with hard work, positive thinking and determination, you can achieve anything.”