Bailey Matthews, an 8-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, is the newest triathlon champion. During the event over the weekend, Matthews abandoned his walking aid and crossed the finish line unassisted, ESPN reported.
Despite several tumbles, Bailey Matthews from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, proved that he wasn't going to let his disability, which affects his mobility, get in the way for him to complete the triathlon event on July 1.
Matthews, who was cheered over by several spectators, received a warm reception and crossed the finish line in triumph, BBC News noted. At the event, the boy was accompanied by his father, who was an avid runner.
Upon seeing the emotional crowd cheering and encouraging him down the final stretch of the race, Bailey Matthews' face brightened, an expression that truly inspired the announcer and the crowd.
"He shows us what's possible when you've got heart, and you've got soul and you've got determination," the announcer said.
At the Castle Howard Triathlon in North Yorkshire last Saturday, Bailey Matthews completed a 100-meter swim, 4,000-meter bike ride and 1,300-meter run. According to Time, Matthews used a specially-adapted walking frame to help him finish the course. But in a video posted on YouTube, he was seen abandoning his walking frame to finish the last 20 meters. Despite several falls, he finished unaided.
"You can see his little face when he came round and saw everyone, which was his way of finishing in style and showing everyone what he could do," Matthews' mother Julie Hardcastle told the Yorkshire Post. "It was the response from the crowd that pushed him to do that."
"He has always struggled with getting dressed, things that parents of other children take for granted, he does struggle with, just everyday things are more difficult for him, but he never lets it bother him," his mother added. "He doesn't see himself as different to anyone else."
Born nine weeks early, Bailey Matthews was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills, at only 18 months. He acquired his determination to complete a triathlon from his father, who is a triathlete and who used to push his son in a wheelchair around weekly running events.
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