Young Bradley Hodgson is looking forward to taking part in a big sporting event at Loughborough University at the end of this month.

That’s an achievement for anyone, of course, but for 15-year-old Bradley it is even more an achievement because he has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

It means that Bradley, who lives in Lydney and goes to school at The Dean Academy in the town, is paralysed from the waist down and unable to walk.

But that hasn’t prevented him from taking up wheelchair tennis and his dedication to his chosen sport over the past six years has been rewarded with his chance to compete for England Red (South West England) at the school games in Loughborough from 30th August until 2nd September.

He will be competing against teams from Scotland, Wales, Ulster, England White and England Blue at the four-day event.

It promises to be a special occasion, all the more so for Bradley when you consider that as recently as 5th June he had an operation on his leg which obviously forced him onto the sidelines for a period.

So how did Bradley get involved in wheelchair tennis?

“I started my tennis training/career at Oxstalls in Gloucester and attended the weekly wheelchair tennis training sessions every Thursday from 4pm to 4.45pm for about four years,” he explained.

That was just the start because these days he trains at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

“I have been attending every Sunday 5pm to 7pm since December,” said Bradley,

That’s some commitment but his determination has certainly not been misplaced as is shown by some of his performances, particularly in a tournament in Bolton.

“I worked hard to be ready for my first tournament,” he said of competing in Bolton. “I really enjoyed it which was the main thing and I managed to win a few games.

“I got to the final of the doubles and it was a close match, going to a tie-break which we lost 15-13.”

He has since taken part in tournaments in Loughborough – he reached the semi-final of the doubles – and Taunton and is looking forward to returning to Loughborough over the next few days.

And after the school games are finished, what does the future hold for Bradley?

“It would be great to get a sponsor to help fund a new tennis chair,” he said, “but it would be a dream come true if I kept on playing and was one day selected to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.”

Not that Bradley is getting too carried away just yet because he knows he’s got a lot of work to do if he is to realise his dream.

“It’s a long way off yet as my serve is letting me down,” he admitted.