'Fearless' paralysed boy to lead team at triathlon

Emerson and his mother Anna-Marina will be taking part in the Superhero Tri along with 5,000 other contestants

A 10-year-old schoolboy from Surrey who is paralysed from the chest down will lead a team of Paralympians at a triathlon event.

Emerson, who lives near Weybridge, will complete the cycling and run/push sections of the full Superhero Tri before leading Paralympic swimming medallist and European champion Callie-Ann Warrington and Paralympic and world rowing champion Laura Sugar in the sprint event.

"Superhero Tri gave us hope and planted the first seed in Emerson about all he can do," said Emerson's mother, Anna-Marina, who described her son as having a "fearless spirit".

The Superhero Tri will be held at Dorney Lake, Windsor, on 16 August.

In August 2016, when Emerson was aged just 19 months, he had an operation to decompress an arachnoid cyst which was pressing on his spinal nerve.

Emerson competes in the Superhero Tri every year

While the cyst was decompressed, the surgery resulted in a spinal cord injury that left Emerson paralysed from the chest down.

"As we were coming to terms with his diagnosis and paralysis, we were with him in hospital teaching him how to sit up again," said Anna-Marina.

"This was 2016 and the Rio Paralympics were being shown on TV.

"Seeing disabled athletes taking part in multiple sports was incredible to watch from his hospital bed and gave us strength at a time when we needed it most.

"They opened our eyes to what might be possible for Emerson."

At the same time, Sophia Warner was reporting trackside from Rio - but she was also hatching a plan for a large scale event for people with disabilities.

That November, she launched the Superhero Tri.

Warner said she wanted to create 'fun, gutsy events where people with disabilities call the shots and don't have to worry about cut-off times or equipment restrictions'

Warner is a Paralympian with cerebral palsy and was the first disabled person to enter the London Triathlon back in 1998.

Speaking ahead of the Superhero Tri, she said: "It's so much fun and I think it sets out to prove that with everything set up in the right way, anything's possible.

"It's just great to see at grass roots level so many people with disabilities coming and taking part in sport just for fun.

Superhero Tri is now on its eighth event and has grown to include more than 5,000 competitors.

Emerson plans to complete the adapted cycle and run sections in his wheelchair, and will be joined by his best friend Leo, mum and her partner Rob.

Anna-Marina said Emerson has grown in confidence since taking part in the events.

"He'll take on any sport - wheelchair racing, wheelchair tennis and anything with a ball - and he goes at life with a fearless spirit," she said.

There will be 28 Paralympians taking part in this weekend's event overall.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.