Appeal to make man’s Paralympic dream come true

AN ATHLETE wants to fulfil his dream of competing in the Paralympics – but needs £1,500 to do it.

Mark Roderick, 41, is fundraising to buy a state-of-the-art aluminium or carbon fibre ramp to compete in boccia.

The sport, for people with disabilities, sees competitors throwing coloured balls as close as possible to a jack, like in bowls.

Mark, from Barry, who has been in an electric wheelchair since he was a child, plays in category BC3. It means he is unable to launch the ball with his hands and instead relies upon a ramp.

He first got hooked on the sport 18 months ago.

“I got my brother to build my first ramp and I started playing and it just progressed from there. I’ve been playing competitive boccia only since last August when I got my first proper ramp,” he said.

In his first competition Mark missed out on qualifying for the Welsh trials – which would have led to the British trials – by just one place.

“I use an old ramp which cost me £450 whereas I’m competing with people who are using ramps which cost £2,000,” he said.

“It may not look like a big difference but when you’re using the ramps, it makes such a massive difference because they’re a lot smoother.

“Looking back on it, it was disappointing but using second-grade equipment like I was, I’m quite pleased especially in my first year as well. I’m really hoping to make next year my big year.”

Mark suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and has been in an electric wheelchair since he was 10.

“In junior school, it [being in a wheelchair] didn’t really affect me that much because all of the kids knew me and my disability and it wasn’t an issue.

“But I really struggled in high school with it because my classmates in junior school went on to a local high school, but the school couldn’t take the full wheelchair so I had to go out of the area to a new high school and I knew no-one there, no-one knew me and I never really fitted in or mixed.

“High school was not a happy period of time for me.”

But since he left school, Mark has found solace in sport.

He plays bridge for Wales and hopes he can do the same for boccia.

He said: “I can’t even imagine what it must feel like [to compete at the Paralympics]. Even when I’ve represented Wales at bridge I got such a rush and I felt so proud.

“Imagine that times a hundred at something like the Paralympics and the adrenaline would be incredible. It’s an experience I’d love to do.”

You can donate to Mark’s GoFundMe page by visiting www. gofundme.com/marks-boccia-fundfor-a-new-ramp