Sports-mad Rustington twins defy the doctors

Basketball mad, the 11 year olds are members of Georgian Gardens Primary School's boys team, which qualified for, and won, the Worthing Thunder schools' competition on Saturday (18), at the British Basketball League club's ground.

Mum, Sara, said: "Since he was three, Ted has been obsessed with basketball, and always wanted to win a trophy or medal. They are both over the moon."

The school's sport co-ordinator Sue Sunderland added that the pair had overcome all the odds, as they were told when they were five that they would never be able to take part in main-stream sporting classes or events.

Dyspraxia is a condition which affects co-ordination and organisation of movement, and is estimated to affect up to ten per cent of the population, and about two per cent severely, like Ted and Dylan.

"They find day-to-day things difficult," said Sara, "like tying their shoelaces, getting dressed. They can't open packets. They had to go through a lot of speech therapy, to get them to co-ordinate their tounges into the right position to pronounce words."

It is something that will never go away, she said, but something they were learning to deal with.

"Seeing them standing up on Saturday, holding the trophy, was so emotional, " said Sara, "Dylan has recently had his hair cut, and said the win was down to the 'power of the mohawk'!"

Sue though, disagreed and said it was all down to hard work and determination on their part.

"When they first joined the school, I remember them trying out for the athletics team, and they couldn't even get down the track in a straight line.

"They are so determined, and put themselves up for everything. I am so very proud of them."

*For the full story, see this week's Littlehampton Gazette, on sale today (Thursday, April 23).

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