Northern Ireland paralympian David Ross going for gold after overcoming the odds
Video report by Sports Correspondent Ruth Gorman.
Anna Kane speaks to a Paralympian travelling to Paris this year to bring back a medal.
Learning simple life skills such as getting out of bed or driving a car is something we all get taught when we are children, however, David Ross had the battle of re-learning simple life skills after a spinal injury during a ruck in a rugby game in 2013 aged 18.
He was left wheelchair-bound.
David, who is originally from Scotland and lives in Belfast is heading to France to participate in this year’s Paralympics which open on Wednesday.
From a young age, he always enjoyed sports taking after his dad who was very sporty.
Discussing his love for rugby he explained: “I played a lot of sports from a young age, the first sport that stuck with me was rugby. I played it at school from eleven years old until I was injured at 18 and then logically wheelchair rugby was potentially the best alternative for me.”
David has gone on to prove that nothing will stop him and his passion for the sport.
Despite his injury his passion for rugby never stopped as it was during his rehabilitation he was invited to wheelchair rugby.
At the age of 19, David got a chance to train with the Great Britain Development Team.
“This is when I got my first taste of wheelchair rugby and what it would be like,” he said.
However, like other teenagers and young adults, he had other things to keep him busy, like his university course in sports science.
After his studies, David wanted to embark on his sporting journey.
“I just wanted to get on with it and see if I could get there”.
With the Great Britain team they won the Canada Cup in 2022, second in the European Championships in Cardiff and this year they came third in the Quad Nations Wheelchair Rugby Tournament which took place in the UK.
“That constant of playing sport was the thing that helped me the most,” David said.
On the Paralympics he added: “It is my first Paralympic games, I will just go on what my teammates have told me and we have a great team of staff who have been there before, so hopefully they will keep us reassured.”
Reflecting on his journey, David has been on an emotional rollercoaster.
He added: “You don’t have to be upbeat all the time, have a good support system around you so that you can keep them close.
“Obviously you have to deal with those away from the scene so you're not bringing any of that negative energy into the group.”
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