When it comes to backflips you wouldn’t imagine doing one in a wheelchair, but that’s exactly what 12-year-old Benjamin Sleet managed to achieve on April 3rd. As a result, he has become the youngest male in Europe and only male in the UK to land a wheelchair backflip, an amazing accomplishment.
He achieved this with 5 years of WCMX, a wheelchair sport incorporating tricks adapted from skateboarding and BMX, training and practice. He spent a few months just practicing to pull off this trick.
Lily Rice, at the age of 13, was the first European female, and the second in the world, to manage a wheelchair backflip in 2017. She has since then won gold in the 2019 WCMX World Championships and has been working hard in getting WCMX to be included in the Paralympic Games, with her thinking there’s a good likelihood we’ll see it in the 2028 Games.
Despite what conditions you may live with, you can always achieve a lot more than you think you can if you never give up. Even if you don’t have a huge goal you aspire to, getting involved in sport is always good for your physical and mental health.
As always, stay Defiant!
#TeamDefiant