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Rio is a fun-loving 6-year-old – he’s also an amputee with a
passion for the Paralympics. He was born with a one-in-a-million
bone deficiency in his lower right leg – Tibial Aplasia (no tibia,
knee or ankle joint), necessitating a through-knee amputation at 14
months. He was fitted with his first prosthetic leg at 17 months
and took his first steps on his first “ampuversary” at the age of
two years, two months.
He always tried to be as active as he could but was held back by
his heavy, rigid NHS (National Health Service) prosthetic leg until
the London 2012 Paralympics changed his life!
I had the chance to interview Rio and his mother, Juliette
Woolf.
Rio you were able to attend the Invictus Games and meet
Prince Harry. What was it like to meet him?
It was awesome! Prince Harry was very nice – I’m so happy I met
him!
Can you tell our readers what you both talked
about?
Prince Harry asked me about my special leg – he liked the picture
of Blu from the “Rio” movie and the Rio 2016 logo.
Did you enjoy the games? What was your favourite event that
you watched?
Yes, it was awesome! I liked watching the running on TV and the
wheelchair basketball at the Copper Box.
Mrs Woolf can you tell us a bit more about Rio and how he
had the chance to go to the Invictus Games?
Rio loves sport – athletics (especially running), swimming,
football, tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair dancing –
you name it, he’ll try it! He had been feeling very down before the
London 2012 Paralympics as he was struggling to keep up with his
friends, but after we took him to the last night of the athletics
he was so inspired by “the people with special legs running” that
he decided to take up sport again and announced his ambition to
become a Paralympian – he wants to be a blade runner like his
heroes Jonnie Peacock (ParalympicsGB) and Alan Oliveira (his
Brazilian Paralympics idol) and is aiming for the 2024 Games.
Rio loves going to para-sport events – both as a spectator and to
participate – so we have taken him to as many events as we can all
over the country over the past two years.
I knew about the Warrior Games in the US and was very interested to
hear back in the Spring that Prince Harry was launching the
Invictus Games here in the UK – I knew it was something Rio would
really enjoy, being a para-sport event with lots of incredible
amputee athletes, so I booked our tickets as soon as they went on
sale.
We went to the Wheelchair Basketball event where we watched our
victorious British team beat the US! Rio was in his element, joking
around with the wounded warriors and comparing “special legs” – it
was so inspiring to see these courageous men and women embracing
the healing power of sport to live life to the full.
The BBC asked to do some filming with us and although my interview
was cut (when I told him, Rio said “That’s because you’re not going
to be a Paralympian like me!”),
After we finished filming, the BBC Producer spotted Prince Harry on
the other side of the basketball court and asked Rio if he wanted
to meet him – Rio shouted “Yes!” and grabbed the Producer’s hand,
running all the way around the upper level and down the stairs to
get to him as he was being whisked off by his team, but he was so
generous with his time for Rio, despite a busy schedule, stopping
for five minutes to chat with him and showing a great interest in
Rio’s prosthetic leg, especially the designs on his socket – the
logos from the ‘Rio’ movie and Rio 2016.
I heard Rio you want to be in the 2024 Paralympics? what
event do you think you will bring home the gold in?
Yes, I want to run in the 100m, and I’m going to get a gold
medal!
To learn more about Rio and his quest for gold visit: www.run-rio-run.co.uk; or follow Rio on
www.facebook.com/RioWoolf and Twitter
@BladeBoyRio
Photo Credit: Juliette Woolf 2014]]>
