Express & Star

Cannock man has 2016 Paralympics in sights a year after starting archery

A devastating accident which left a Cannock father of three in a wheelchair has led to the chance of a trip to Brazil to take part in the 2016 Paralympics.

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Wayne Evans has been told he could make the archery squad – just a year after taking up the sport.

The 47-year-old turned to archery after a second blow to his health ruled him out of the GB team for rugby.

He vowed: "I will go to the Paralympics – no matter what the sport."

Mr Evans suffers from Scheuermann's disease, an hereditary condition which leads to the narrowing of the bones in his spine.

The condition, which means he cannot walk more than a few feet without the aid of a stick, was sparked by a fall from his lorry in 2003.

He recovered from the accident at McGarries Transport in Four Ashes after a year off work but suffered a relapse four years ago when he collapsed at his home in Heath Hayes.

It was a further deterioration in his condition in January that forced him to quit rugby. He became so depressed that his children paid for a holiday in Majorca for himself and his wife, and it was there that he first tried out his skills with a bow.

He attended a Paralympic open day at Lilleshall in Shropshire and is now being trained by a GB coach. He said: "I've been told I've got a 50-50 chance of making Rio but that I should really focus on Tokyo in 2020. I will be 53 then which is in the age range of many of the top archers. But I really want to make it to the 2016 Games."

He was a runner in his youth, competing in the same events as Olympians Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett. He also boxed with Rugeley Police Boys and played golf, getting down to a nine handicap within a year after joining Chase Golf Club in Cannock.

The former HGV driver is now training four hours a day, six days a week.

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