9:22am Friday 9th February 2007
By Emma Clark
A TEENAGE athlete will fly to Shanghai this summer to represent England in the Special World Olympics.
Joseph Strohm, 19, of Northfield Road, Harpenden, has been picked for the 100m sprint, long jump, and four by 100m relay, after winning two gold medals and one bronze in the Great Britain Special Olympic Games in Glasgow 2005.
Joseph has been training for less than two years. To give himself the best chance at the games, he hopes to increase his training sessions with St Albans Special Olympic Club and St Albans Athletic Club.
Joseph, who has moderate learning disabilities, is studying a sports instructor course at Barnfield College in Luton after completing a Landmark qualification at Oaklands College's Smallford campus in St Albans.
He said: "I was always good at athletics and sport at school and I also play for the Disability Football Club in St Albans. This will be a big experience though. I get nervous competing but I have to get used to it. I try to get other people to come along to the training because it's fun, you get to meet new people and make friends."
Joseph said he was excited about the trip, but a little apprehensive. He will leave for China in June and hopes to take his dad Jonathan with him, leaving his mum Christine and four sisters, Rebecca, Naomi, Elizabeth and Chloe, at home.
Participants must raise the money for the three-week trip themselves. Funding for Joseph's trip has come from a £1,000 donation from charity Follow Your Dreams, which gives youngsters with learning disabilities the chance to reach their full potential and £1,000 from the James Marshall Foundation in Harpenden which gives out donations to under 25s for training, education or work opportunities.
He has also received £500 from the 948 Sports Foundation established by the Old Albanians sports club to promote participation in sport by young people.
With more than 500,000 athletes going to compete in China this summer, the event aims to give children and adults with learning disabilities the chance to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition.
Mrs Strohm said: "There are only about 200 people going to the Olympics this year so it really is something. It was so exciting to watch him at Glasgow up against top athletes and win, we're really proud of him.
"We didn't know anything about the Olympics until Mencap Stairways in Harpenden told Joseph about it a few years ago. It has really made a huge difference to his life."
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