Leicester teenager Ryan Dickin has set his sights on Paralympic glory after transferring his basketball skills to rugby.
The 18-year-old started playing competitive rugby just a couple of months ago but recently returned from an international wheelchair competition in Germany where he picked up a bronze medal with Leicester Tigers.
Dickin, who has been diagnosed with the muscle-wasting disease hereditary sensory motor neuropathy, was last year crowned young disabled person of the year at the Leicestershire Sports Partnership awards.
The Gateway College student also won a sport scholarship at Loughborough University following impressive performances on the basketball court for Leicester Cobras.
He said: “Everything with rugby is happening very quickly.
“My doctor told Leicester Tigers about me and, when they saw my basketball record, they were very keen.
“They invited me to training and since then it’s all gone brilliantly.
“My disability has been classified as a 3.5, which is very rare. It means I can play but I am also one of the most able-bodied people on the court.
“I got back from Cologne, in Germany, where we took part in one of the biggest tournaments in Europe, with both international and clubs sides involved.
“We came third overall after losing in the semi-finals to the Swiss national side in a game we really should have won. But it’s amazing to play against international sides so soon after taking up the sport.”
Dickin has now got his sights set on playing rugby at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio and has not ruled out representing Team GB in basketball at the 2020 games.
He said: “With rugby there is a real chance I could make the 2016 Paralympics, so I am going to do everything I possibly can to get there.
“It’s the first contact sport I have ever played and I’m still getting used to actually being able to hit people. But it’s great fun.
“With basketball I’m a bit further off, but 2020 is a real possibility and again I’ll do everything I can to make it.”
Dickin attends basketball training three evenings a week, has rugby training twice a week and plays matches at weekends.
To help the teenager travel to college and to his sporting commitments, he was recently awarded funding by leading children’s disability charity, Newlife Foundation, and Central England Co-Operative to purchase a new lightweight wheelchair.
He said: “The new chair is going to make an enormous difference.
“It is going to be much easier to push so I will be able to get around more comfortably.
“I’m an independent person but this chair will increase my independence further and make day-to-day life easier.”
Article source: http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12508/9183917/six-nations-louis-picamoles-dropped-for-mocking-referee-allain-rolland
Wheelchair rugby: Ryan has sights set on 2016 Paralympics
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