Everybody is born a Champion
Thomas Young is a British Paralympic athlete.
He was crowned Paralympic T38 100m Champion at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, breaking the European Record in the process. He has won Paralympic Gold, World Silver in 2019 and three times been crowned European T38 100M Champion. In 2022 he was awarded an MBE for his services to Athletics. We are delighted to announce that Thomas has agreed to be a Patron of Nerve Tumours UK. Thomas is diagnosed with NF1.
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“I was diagnosed quite randomly at the age of 12 years old after asking my GP a question about a birthmark which turned out to be a fibroma. He referred me to a dermatologist and within 5 minutes of being there I was diagnosed with NF1. To our knowledge there is no further NF1 in my family, so I continue to learn lots about it. I like to consider myself as a regular 23-year-old guy rather than someone with an impairment. However, and of course, it has still impacted my life. Even though I have always been able to keep up with my friends, NF1 has made certain things challenging. But following the diagnosis many things became clearer, it answered some questions my parents and I had, whilst growing up. For example, as to why I couldn’t do certain things, such as ride a bike. I just never really took to it, so when we found about what NF1 is, it made more sense.
“But more importantly, and uniquely, it has massively positively impacted my life when I realised I was eligible for para sport. Inspired by London 2012, I was involved with athletics as a hobby. One day my athletics coach asked me if I had any sort of neurological disability. Up until this point in 2018, as a young teenager, I had never really thought of it as a disability but once my coach helped me recognise that it was considered one, it really opened my views on NF1 and helped me understand why I run differently to other people. I compete as a T38 athlete, which categorises me with other athletes who have coordination challenges from their impairments, this includes Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis and people who have had a stroke. I am very fortunate to be able to compete internationally for Great Britain which means I get to travel the world and train as an elite athlete. I am so fortunate for the avenues that have opened up to me so early in my life, I am able to do something I really love as my job and love growing more awareness of para sport. From a young age, I always wanted to travel so being able to travel the world with amazing teammates while doing something I love is just amazing.
“After my diagnosis I met a Specialist Nurse, so I imagine that may have been my first encounter with Nerve Tumours UK, but I did not get to know the charity more until I realised my story could positively inspire others that they could be champions too.
“I still have follow-up visits with the clinic once a year and meet various people raising awareness about the charity. Seeing other people raise awareness of NF makes me really excited about working with the charity as I hope I can raise more awareness too and encourage others to live their life to the fullest. Not many people have heard of NF1, especially in the Paralympics as my class tends to be predominantly people with Cerebral Palsy, so bringing NF1 to track and field is great, and I can’t wait to raise more awareness in Paris this summer. My NF1 has allowed me to compete in para-athletics, travel the world and compete at global competitions.
“A young person with NF reached out to me once, to say that they had been inspired by me to not give up. They had been struggling to ride their bike and because I had not let my NF defeat me in running, the young person wouldn't let it defeat them whilst cycling.
“Since 2018, I have been crowned European Champion three times, taking the silver medal in the 2019 World Championships before going on to win the T38 100m at the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021, breaking the European Record in the process.
“Knowing that I can inspire other people with NF, and help grow national awareness of what it means to have less visible impairments is incredible. Having a less visible impairment myself, and performing at the Paralympics, provides a platform to build wider awareness of less recognised and less visible disabilities. It will hopefully inspire others, who may have previously felt their disability was unrecognised, to feel more seen, and that they can achieve. On May the 4th 2022, often coined as Star Wars Day, I was very privileged and honoured to receive an MBE for my services to Athletics. What more can we say: May the Force be with Thomas in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris! And before then, for the World Championships in Kobe in May. He will in fact be running his heats on World NF Day 17 May. Stay tuned this summer when Thomas will be raising the flag for Team GB and the Nerve Tumours UK Community.
“Watching Usain Bolt win double Gold in the 2008 Olympics was a huge inspiration. After I watched him run in 2012, I was inspired to join my local athletics club. I idolise Usain and aspire to achieve what my hero has. A day after Tokyo, I woke up with phone calls and texts to see he had tweeted me. That was a magical moment!”
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Do you want to learn more about NF? Email us: info@nervetumours.org.uk We are here to explain, advise and support you.
