During last summer’s European Games, Special Olympics GB’s Daniel Weston met the iconic Eddy Merckx – one of SOGB’s great cyclists meeting the greatest cyclist ever and five time Tour de France winner. Daniel now has his sights on a once in a lifetime World Games experience in Los Angeles.
Daniel is one of over 100 Special Olympics Great Britain athletes from across England, Scotland and Wales heading to Los Angeles for the World Games with 7,000 athletes from 177 other countries – and President Obama in attendance at the Opening Ceremony! Special Olympics provides year-round sport for people with intellectual disabilities.
It is Daniel Weston’s dazzling smile, friendliness and gentle persona that belie the difficulties that he has faced since being diagnosed with Autism as a child. Daniel, who hails from Barnstaple, is now twenty-two, but was encouraged by his school to start cycling when he was just six years old. Since then Daniel’s enthusiasm and dedication coupled with an extraordinary sporting ability has thrust him to Olympian heights.
It soon became clear to Daniel’s father, Patrick, an accomplished cyclist himself, that Daniel was a natural rider and that he could handle a bike really well. At the age of fourteen Daniel asked Patrick if they could race together. Due to a lack of awareness of the hazards of traffic, Daniel wasn’t able at that stage of his life, to cycle unaccompanied on roads and the obvious solution was for father and son to ride together on a tandem! Their first outing was just a short trip to nearby Saunton Sands and every weekend thereafter involved tandem rides. Daniel’s racing career had duly been launched.
Radmila, Daniel’s mother, is absolutely certain that the sport has made a huge difference to Daniel’s life. In addition to the obvious benefits of physical exercise she feels that his temperament has become a lot calmer since he took up competitive cycling. Daniel used to present some very challenging behaviour as a child but his frustration and mood swings have been channelled into the demanding activity of cycling which has brought him a purpose and sense of well being.
Daniel’s involvement has also given him the opportunity to interact socially with other members of his cycling and swimming clubs, which has helped him to develop and improve his communication skills.
Radmila said: “His total dedication to training and his invariably enthusiastic participation in competitions have earned him an enormous amount of respect within these sporting circles. This, in turn, has given Daniel a sense of achievement and self worth.”
Daniel and his father joined the local cycling club – the North Devon Wheelers – and the two of them started to ride a few time trials. Daniel then raced in Para cycle events, leading to the arduous and demanding 100 mile Dartmoor Classic, which he completed at the unusually young age of fifteen.
By then Daniel wanted to ride on his own, so one weekend Patrick lent him his spare bike. Daniel still has it and has been using it ever since! Daniel took to competitive racing with surprising ease and delights in each and every event.
In August 2012 Daniel won the 10km time trial in the Special Olympics Great Britain National Cycling Competition and also finished third in the 15km road race in Manchester, which was Britain’s biggest event that year for cyclists with learning disabilities. Daniel was subsequently selected for Team GB to compete in the 15, 20 and 40 kilometre events at the Special Olympics European Championships in Antwerp and finished 6th, 7th and 4th respectively, leading the whole field in the latter for 95% of the event. Daniel is also in the 2015 World Games GB team going to Los Angeles in July.
Apart from his cycling exploits, Daniel is also an accomplished swimmer and is a member of the Minehead and West Somerset Swimming Club, having previously trained with Crediton Swimming Club. At the age of twelve, he completed a two mile sponsored swim and raised money for victims of the Tsunami in Sri Lanka – an achievement of which he remains justly proud. Daniel has won both gold and silver medals at the ASA South West Region Disability Swimming Championships and a silver medal in the National Swimming Disability Championships.
Since the autumn of 2011, Daniel was a student on the catering and hospitality course at Foxes Academy in Minehead where he learnt about hotel work and also gained skills in independent living. Because Daniel was unable to cycle on his own he went out with a group from the Minehead Cycling Club, but also had access to a turbo trainer, which he used for forty-five minutes every weekday and twice as long at weekends. This routine has been maintained and he now goes out with his home club at the weekends. Daniel says, ‘I love to train, which keeps me fit and strong!’.
Daniel graduated from Foxes in July 2014 and now lives in supported housing near the family home in Barnstaple. He has already obtained employment in a local hotel where he has been undergoing work experience for the last three years. Daniel is very close to his sister, Anna, who is also a great source of love and support. Apart from his principal sporting pursuits Daniel also plays table tennis and ten pin bowling.
Daniel is particularly excited about the World Summer Games in LA – he had a taste of the Olympic ‘glory’ when he carried the torch in summer of 2012 – and is very much looking forward to going to the USA.
He is determined to do well and enjoy himself a long way from home while being independent of his family. It is evident that Daniel’s involvement with Special Olympics has certainly given him a great deal of confidence, a feeling of empowerment and has helped him forge links with people from all over the country.
Daniel Weston’s determination and dedication to his sport typifies the spirit and philosophy of the Special Olympics, but if he also brings home the odd medal or two to add to his ever burgeoning collection then so much the better. And then we can all celebrate with Daniel, a delightful young man and true athlete.
