A determined teenager who has overcome his disability to be a budding sporting champion has been nominated for a top award.

Inspirational Thomas Holmes, aged 15, has to use a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy but has scooped a host of medals for the Paralympic sport of boccia .

The youngster, a pupil at King Ecgbert School in Dore, is now hoping to take home another prize from the Yorkshire Child of Courage awards next month.

Thomas’ proud dad Martin, of Heeley, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic that Thomas has been nominated.

“Thomas never lets anything stop him.

“If there is any obstacle there he will try and get round it.

“He started off playingboccia three or four years ago and he has just gone on from there. At first he thought it was a bit boring but he just got into it.

“He took part in the Rotary district disability games in Barnsley and did so well he came home with four trophies and medals.”

Thomas won a Star Superkids award for his triumph over adversity earlier this year – and has even motivated his dad to become a qualified boccia coach.

He was nominated for the Yorkshire Child of Courage prize by Karen Codling, chairman of the Sheffield Smashers Boccia club which Thomas and his family are involved with.

Karen, a partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell which sponsors the club, said: “In the two years I have known Thomas he has come on really well.

“I have learned a lot from Thomas and now I can’t believe how competitive he is.

“He has done so well in all the competitions we have entered him into and he always wants to be on the winning team.”

Winners of the awards – which aim to recognise youngsters across the county for their achievements and bravery – will be revealed at a ceremony in Leeds on Friday, October 4.

Today sees the first National Paralympics Day – with a free event held at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, combing sporting events with a showcase of disability art.

Visitors can enjoy a day of Paralympic sport at the newly re-opened Copperbox venue (which hosted Goalball during the Games) including boccia, wheelchair basketball and seated volleyball.

Liberty, the annual London disability art festival will take place alongside the sporting events. It began as a stand-alone festival in Trafalgar Square 10 years ago and in the last few years has been physically linked with the celebrations around the Paralympic games. This year it’s in the Olympic Park itself.

via BBC News – It’s the first National Paralympics Day – but will there be a second?.

WHO could forget the wonderful scenes at the Olympic stadium during the Paralympic games?Villagers hope to recreate the joy of those two weeks in 2012 with their own festival of Paralympic sport.Sports star Olivia Breen will be there to launch Denmead Sports Fest on Saturday which will see activities such as goalball, wheelchair rugby and boccia take place at Ashling Pavilion.Other activities include demonstrations of sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis and cricket for the visual impaired.Tony Daniells, from Denmead Parish Council, said: ‘A lot of us went to the Paralympics last year and we were so impressed.‘There was a lot of talk about maintaining the Olympic legacy and we have got the facilities to do just that.

via Paralympic legacy lives on in village’s sports extravaganza – Portsmouth News.

Woodhey High pupil Matthew Topping, aged 13, travelled to the USA to take part in the Dwarf World Games, held in Michigan.Matthew achieved a gold medal in football as well as silver in boccia, badminton doubles and 25-metre backstroke, bronze in floor hockey, basketball and bronze and a personal best in discus.

via Ramsbottom golden boy Matthew brings home medals From Lancashire Telegraph.

Twelve months after the Olympic Stadium erupted when Jonnie Peacock won gold in the T44 100m at the Paralympic Games, the athlete was back in Cambridge on a mission to inspire a new generation of athletes and volunteers.

The 20-year-old from Doddington visited Impington Village College as part of Join In’s summer-long drive to encourage people to volunteer in their local communities.

Potential Paralympians from the Cambridge group Camboccia got the chance to chat with Jonnie and join him for a game of boccia – the bowls-style sport in which Team GB won bronze at the 2012 Games – while members of the public were able to find out more about volunteering.

via SLIDESHOW: Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock on why he loves Cambridge, meeting David Beckham and the value of volunteers | Cambridge City News, Cambridge Local News Stories & Latest Headlines About Cambridge.

Cheers and shouts of encouragement from the crowd accompanied athletes during the second day of the Special Olympics.

The University of Bath played host to 1,700 athletes from across the country competing against each other in various sports.

Other events taking place at the University included badminton, tennis, boccia, and table tennis.

via Cheers and shouts of encouragement from the crowd accompanied athletes during the second day of the Special Olympics. | This is Bath.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is to host a “celebration of sport and culture” to mark National Paralympic Day on Saturday September 7.

The event will feature a variety of activities including the chance to try out some Paralympic sports and the opportunity to get autographs from some of the stars of the London 2012 Games.

Meanwhile the park’s Copper Box arena will host a series of matches involving Paralympic athletes, including boccia.

via Olympic Park to host celebration of National Paralympic Day

Gold medal winner and GB Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock has been in Cambridge this morning promoting the work of volunteers in disability sport.

The Olympics legacy event held at Impington Village College Sports Centre also aims to inspire people to take up Boccia, a competitive game that can be played one-on-one, in pairs, or with teams of three.

via Jonnie Peacock inspires others to get involved in sport | Anglia – ITV News.

AFTER achieving his Paralympic dream in London last summer, young local boccia player Jacob Thomas has now set his sights on Rio.

The 18 year-old , who attended Ysgol Y Preseli, recently took part in the British Boccia Individual Championships, as well as the Cheshire International team event, at Wigan.

Jacob won silver in the individual BC3 event – losing to Scott McCowan, who was delighted to get revenge having been beaten by Jacob for the last two years.

via Jacob courts further success (From Tivyside Advertiser).

TENANTS in sheltered housing schemes in Combe St Nicholas, Tatworth and Winsham are set to get active with brand new boccia equipment provided by South Somerset District Council’s healthy lifestyles team.

Boccia is a target sport similar to bowls which is suitable for all abilities and, judging from the reaction of residents of Kents Lane sheltered housing scheme in Tatworth, it is going to be a huge hit.

Charlie Coward, healthy lifestyles officer at the district council, said: “Boccia is part of our active ageing programme. One element of the programme involves providing various pieces of adapted sports and physical activity equipment for use amongst the older population. So far we have offered boccia, ping, which is a portable table tennis set, pedometers and routes for walking and cycling.

via View From Online – News from West Dorset, East Devon & South Somerset