‘I just want to be able to race'

2:27pm Saturday 10th May 2008

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The world's fourth fastest sprinter with a learning disability was prepared to seriously injure his legs after losing hundreds of pounds of funding.

Thomas Poulton-White, 28, a 100m runner from Bradford, placed his legs on a theme park's train track in the hope he would be taken more seriously if physically disabled.

Thomas and national learning difficulty charity Mencap believe thousands of pounds of funding has been cut because athletes with a learning disability have now been banned from competing in the Paralympic Games.

The ban was imposed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the wake of a controversy at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, when members of the Spanish basketball team were found to have falsely claimed to have a learning disability.

Thomas's advocate, Di Freeman, said that before the ban was imposed they had received £300 per month, plus physiotherapy vouchers.

Now they pay for everything themselves.

She said: "The psychological effect of the money being taken away was massive - Thomas thought well, I must not be good enough then'.

"He stopped for two months as he was completely demotivated.

"He kept saying why are other athletes getting money to train? Are they better than me?'. At one point, during a day out at a theme park, Thomas put his legs on the train track.

"He thought that if he was physically disabled he'd be taken seriously and he'd be able to compete again."

Thomas said: "I started running in 1996. In my first event I was spotted by England scouts and invited to train.

"I used to train five nights a week, three on the track and two in the gym.

"I wish I could still run, but I can't afford to pay for myself."

Thomas and his family are supporting Mencap in their call to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to make funding available immediately in order for athletes to by fully trained to compete in London 2012.

The Olympic ban will be discussed at an IPC meeting in October which could determine the future of international learning disability sport.

Also involved in discussions will be the International Sports Federation for People with an Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID).

The ban remains in place until sporting bodies are able to reach an agreement on a suitable registering system.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, MP for Bradford South, was keen for athletes with learning disabilities to be allowed to enter the Paralympics.

He said: "The eligibility criteria though has to be robust to ensure there are no repeats of what happened with the Spanish basketball team in the 2000 Games.

"We urge the IPC and INAS-FID to continue to work closely together to resolve this matter as soon as possible to give intellectually disabled athletes as much time as possible to prepare and compete ahead of London 2012."

Mencap's chief executive, Dame Jo Williams, said: "These athletes are competing for Britain and they should be supported to do so.

"We are actively seeking the removal of the ban on athletes with a learning disability from the Paralympics and we are optimistic the ban will be lifted for London 2012.

"However, we strongly urge sporting bodies to find a solution because with immediate funding these talented athletes will not be physically ready to compete in London 2012.

"This would be a terrible disgrace."