Big year for Upminster youngster

Upminster teenager Olly Beadle is looking forward to representing Great Britain at the Special Olympics in Los Angeles this year.

Beadle, 15, plays tennis at Cranston Park LTC under head coach Neil Walker and trains as part of a performance development squad organised by the Tennis Foundation, regularly attending learning disability training events and regional tournaments.

Team GB will comprise of 116 athletes covering a range of sports who fly out to LA towards the end of July.

Mum Jackie said: “We are all incredibly proud that Olly has been chosen to represent Team GB at tennis in the Special Olympics in Los Angeles in the summer.

“Olly is one of four INAS-registered British young people with learning disabilities (two male and two female) who will represent GB at tennis.”

The Games are set to be opened by President Barack Obama and are expected to be attended by 7,000 athletes from 177 countries, as well as 3,000 coaches, 30,000 volunteers and up to 500,000 spectators.

Beadle has enjoyed a number of successes at learning disability tennis events over the past couple of years.

He won his men’s singles group at the summer 2013 national Special Olympics games in Bath and the mixed doubles with Sarah Simpson.

Beadle added gold in his men’s singles group at the national learning disability tournament in Nottingham in November 2013 and at the regional tournament in Hertfordshire in spring 2014.

He also won gold in the second men’s singles group at the national tournament in Nottingham just before Chrsitmas.