Young Triathlete With Cerebral Palsy, Bailey Matthews, Inspires Children With Disabilities To Race

A nine-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who completed his first triathlon in 2015 is hoping to inspire other children with disabilities to take part in one, too.

Bailey Matthews from Doncaster, who was famously met with cheers as he crossed the finish line, is organising his own race with help from his parents called the "Be More Bailey Triathlon".

Bailey wants to give children with disabilities confidence that anyone can join in and stay active.

"There's no winner in the Be More Bailey Triathlon," Bailey's dad Jono Matthews told TODAY.com.

"We're hoping people have a go at it and fingers crossed they enjoy themselves."

Bailey Matthews approaching the finish line during his first triathlon in July 2015

Bailey was diagnosed with the neurological condition cerebral palsy when he was 18 months old. He struggles to walk and uses a walker on a day-to-day basis.

A video of the nine-year-old crossing the finish line at the Castle Howard Triathlon in Yorkshire in 2015 garnered 839,000 views on YouTube in seven months.

Bailey completed the 100-metre swim, 4km bike ride and 1.3km run alongside his dad, who is a longtime triathlete.

Matthews said he helped his son prepare by taking him to lakes to swim and ensuring he had a bike with special training wheels.

After Bailey completed the race, Matthews said a triathlon clothing company called Huub saw the video of Bailey crossing the finish line and sent him goodies, including goggles and a wet suit.

Bailey Matthews was met with cheers when he completed the triathlon

The family thanked them and Huub's owner Dean Jackson offered to have Huub sponsor an event in Bailey's name. This is how the family came up with the idea for their event.

The first 'Be More Bailey' triathlon will be on 17 July in Derby and will run alongside the Jenson Button Trust Triathlon.

Matthews said parents will be encouraged to race alongside their kids, even if they've never competed before.

"Doing it as a pair helps give each other confidence," Matthews added. "You never know, the child might even be the one giving their parent a helping hand."

Since it's the first year, participants can race for free, but the family will be accepting donations.

To find out more about the Be More Bailey triathlon, visit www.jensonbuttontri.com.

Mums Speak Out About Lack Of Cerebral Palsy Research

(01 of06)

"My daughter has cerebral palsy. Despite the happiness she exudes, Maya openly shares her frustrations about her daily challenges with us. She wants to use the bathroom by herself, brush her own hair, dress herself, drink from an open cup, sit on the floor without falling. Recently she shared with us that someday she hopes to walk even if just for part of the day. She is eager to help herself make these advances. Unfortunately, the current therapy protocols will not help her meet many of her goals. None of the current available treatments for CP are estimated to provide more than an average 4 to 10 percent gain for the individual, per Iona Novak, Head of Research at CP Alliance Australia. In Maya’s lifetime, parents of kids with CP as well as adults with CP should have the opportunity to choose therapies or interventions that will provide meaningful change in mobility and quality of life."—Michele Shusterman, CP Daily Living; mom to Maya, 6, who has cerebral palsy (credit:Michele Shusterman)

(02 of06)

“These days, a diagnosis of cerebral palsy is pretty much like having the medical community shrug their shoulders. They know what it is, and can alleviate some of the symptoms, but there's definitely an attitude of 'There's nothing we can do.' My son is smart and sassy, but his body just won't comply. If he makes even a small gain in therapy, he uses it to the best of his advantage. Imagine what he could do if if we were able to actually improve his condition.”—Katy Monnot of Bird on the Street; mom to Charlie, 6, who has cerebral palsy (credit:Katy Monnot)

(03 of06)

"Last year, my daughter participated in the Preemie Growth Project, which was about replenishing minerals necessary for a healthy brain. The research looked promising based on the results of the children participating in the study. The woman behind the project tried relentlessly to get the attention of medical professionals and researchers, yet even with the results, nobody seemed willing to listen. Eventually we stopped participating for a couple of reasons: the cost, and the lack of support from professionals. And the project was working; slowly we saw our daughter with cerebral palsy improve, as if her body was "waking up." Just a few days ago my daughter was described as a "superstar" by her team at Mayo clinic. She is determined to walk, to move, to live! But what a difference it would make if someone was willing to fund research, to give her a try outside of putting her under the knife to lengthen one more muscle."—Ellen Stumbo of These Broken Vases; mom to Nina, 7, who has cerebral palsy (credit:Ellen Stumbo)

(04 of06)

"The current surge in autism research is heartening; I'm grateful so many people want to help autistic people like my son Leo. But we have to remember that all kids with disabilities deserve that same attention, deserve that same research funding, deserve to live the best lives possible."—Shannon Des Roches Rosa of Thinking Person's Guide to Autism and Squidalicious; mom to Leo, 12, who has autism (credit:Shannon Des Roches Rosa)

(05 of06)

"It's disappointing to see so little interest in researching the causes and possible treatments for cerebral palsy. Most of the available treatments focus on the symptoms, but orthopedic procedures can't fix circuits that are misfiring in the brain. I'm a former electric power engineer, and I know that propping up a pole won't get the power back on if the wire is lying on the ground! Discovering what makes the brain work and how to help it repair itself has implications way beyond the cerebral palsy community, as well."—Andi Sligh of Bringing the Sunshine; mom to Sarah Kate, 10, who has cerebral palsy (credit:Andi Sligh)

(06 of06)

"With an adult who has a stroke, say, it's easy to imagine the function they had and the function they could have again with proper treatment and care. But with a child, it's much easier to brush it off as: 'They were born that way, so that's the way they'll always be.' Parents of kids with CP have very little time and money to address this issue on a national scale. Instead, many of us are paying thousands, if not tens of thousands, every year to do what medical science refuses to: find treatments that work."—Shasta Kearns Moore of Outrageous Fortune; mom to Malachi, 3, who has cerebral palsy (credit:Shasta Kearns Moore)

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