A STUDENT who lost his mobility through a genetic disorder is using his wheelchair to good effect after becoming an international sportsman.
Darlington College student Kyle Forster was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was seven after noticing a weakness in his muscles.
For the past four years he has been confined to a wheelchair but that hasn’t stopped him playing sport.
The 16-year-old of Darlington, plays for Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club and was selected to play for the Northern Ireland national senior squad.
He competed in the Euros last year, which were held near Venice in Italy, scoring in every match, including a hattrick in the game against Germany.
Unfortunately, the team missed out on qualifying for this year’s’ World Cup by a single place.
But that hasn’t put Kyle off from playing and he continues to train and play with Middlesbrough and the Northern Ireland squad in Belfast every month.
“There are bad parts to my life but also some very good ones,” said Kyle, who is studying Level 2 sports coaching at Darlington College and hopes to be a professional football scout one day.
“I was young when I was diagnosed and wanted to do the same as everyone else. My nurse saw how much I loved football and recommended powerchair. I went to a training session at Middlesbrough and discovered that I am quite good at it.”
Powerchair is a football game played by a team of four players who compete in two 20-minute halves. Kyle plays on the wing and is responsible for crossing the ball, though he has an enviable scoring record too.
He was selected by Northern Ireland as he is eligible to play for the nation because his mum Lynsey is from Belfast. He now plays in the Premiership, playing up to four matches a weekend at Nottingham Trent University, as well as taking part in the Home Nations and Euros.
“Boro have had a good start to the season,” he said. “I’ll be heading back to Belfast in February to train with Northern Ireland, which is a young and upcoming side, and we are building towards the next Four Nations in May.
“My parents were just so happy to go to Italy to watch me play in the Euros. We had a great week. It was such a nice place, and the facilities were big and accessible. I wasn’t even expecting to be at the Euros, let alone play, so I was very happy.
“It is really good for my mental health. It is really good, exciting and I’ve made a lot of friends. My aim is to keep playing, keep developing and get better. I’ll be at Darlington College for three years and it’s great as the tutors are so supportive. I’ve made a lot of friends, and everyone is very nice. The college has been so welcoming and a breath of fresh air.”
His tutor Andrew Manners, who is a senior lecturer in sport and the designated TASS dual career co-ordinator, said: “In the short time Kyle has attended Darlington College he has shown himself to be a role model within our sport programmes, showing how ambition, resilience and support can combine to create sustainable success long-term. Kyle is the perfect example of what success looks like both in the classroom and in a sporting arena.”
For more information about opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.