Derfel Reynolds

Derfel joined Disability Sport Wales as an athlete when he started high school. As well as playing and coaching for a local Disability Football Club, he is a regular volunteer and turns up without fail every week to assist with the coaching of athletics for disabled children. In 2006 he got chosen through a series of football trials to compete for his country in Geneva and he has also had a surprise call back to play for the team again at the beginning of June 2011. Since 2006 he has gained more and more confidence and showed leadership skills when playing in his football team. He was offered to go on a Dragon Sport Leader course initially and has since gone on to several different sporting courses i.e. Athletics, Boccia, community leaders, Disability Inclusion Courses, First Aid, child protection. He also volunteers with a range of other clubs and school events which I run. In 2009 he won a Ceredigion Sports Council volunteer of the year recognition award for his contribution to Disability Sport in Ceredigion. He now works full time and comes after work and takes days off to volunteer with the Disability Sport Wales Scheme. His contribution to the scheme has been outstanding and seeing him grow in confidence and becoming a competent leader in clubs he used to be a part of is brilliant. This is the perfect example of a disabled young person starting out as the athlete and is now giving back to other athletes as well as still enjoying to take part in his own time.