Inspirational Lyndon is crowned Local Hero

Fourteen-year-old Lyndon, from Crook, was struck down with meningitis when he was nine months old.

The disease almost killed him, and in order to save his life, doctors ordered the amputation of both of his legs as well as part of his right arm and the fingertips of his left hand.

His grandfather, Terry Wheeldon, taught him to swim when he was only two, but inspired by the Beijing Paralympics, Lyndon began to take the sport much more seriously in autumn 2008.

Since then, he has trained four nights a week with Wear Valley Swimming Club and won a gold, four silvers and two bronze medals at the National Junior Championships in March.

His medal spree continued last month when he won two golds at a national competition in Sheffield, and national swimming chiefs are expected to include him in their world-class development programme, which would greatly enhance his chances of competing in a future Paralympic Games.

Lyndon’s achievements touched the hearts of The Northern Echo’s readers and, earlier this year, the newspaper backed Durham County Council’s ‘Legs for Lyndon’ campaign in an attempt to raise the money needed for a pair of prosthetic legs.

Northern Echo readers donated more than £10,000 and, last month, Lyndon travelled to the Dorset Orthopaedic Clinic, in Hampshire, to have his new legs fitted.

The campaigning doesn’t stop there though, as a new project – ‘Limbs for Lyndon’ – has been launched to raise the £25,000 that is needed for a bionic arm that will improve his chances of competing in the Paralympics further.

Nigel Armstrong, the managing director of the Bannatyne Group, who sponsor the Youth Award for Remarkable Achievement, said: “The spirit and determination that Lyndon has shown is truly inspirational.

He is a very impressive and determined young sporting star.

“I was taken by his passion and tireless resolve to overcome all obstacles and to achieve in the sport he loves.

He has amazing ambition and dedication to achieve his goals, and is truly an inspiration to others.

“As the winner of the overall Local Hero Award, Lyndon deservedly joins a group of extraordinary people who represent the outstanding quality of North-East grassroots sport.

“I am sure this is just the start of an award-winning career that will see Lyndon become one of the region’s most recognised sporting stars.

“Lyndon thoroughly deserves these awards, which are recognition for his remarkable personal achievement and his sporting talent.”

ALSO nominated in the Youth Award for Remarkable Achievement category were Georgia Clayton and Daniel Reeves.

Eleven-year-old Georgia, of Deerness Gymnastics Club, started to lose weight rapidly in the run-up to the British Tumbling Championships in March.

She did well in the circumstances to finish fourth, and was selected to represent Great Britain in an event in Bulgaria.

Sadly, she continued to suffer from weight loss and fatigue and was diagnosed with diabetes.

This meant having to miss the trip to Bulgaria, but she has shown great courage to fight back to fitness and become one of the best young tumblers in the country.

When Daniel found himself homeless at the age of 16, he could easily have allowed everything else to fall apart around him.

However, having previously been part of the Middlesbrough and Darlington FC Academies, his passion for sport gave him something to build the rest of his life around.

A year later, supported by a housing provider in Shotton Colliery, Daniel was celebrating being the only North-East footballer to represent England in the Homeless World Cup in Milan.