2013-04-16 10:05:26 +02:00

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# London 2012 Olympics: Ade Adepitan puts Scottish teenager Gordon Reid in the
mood for glory at the Games
## The words of Ade Adepitan, the wheelchair tennis and basketball player
turned TV presenter, made quite an impression on Scottish teenager Gordon Reid
when he and the rest of the British wheelchair tennis squad were taken to the
top of London's BT Tower a few months ago for a motivational talk.
[![Simon Hart][1]][2]
By [Simon Hart][3] 8:14AM BST 15 Apr 2011
[Comments][4]
"It was inspiring," recalls Reid, one of the 'Telegraph 10' athletes whose
journeys we are following all the way to London 2012. "He said that there are
no limits to what you can do. You have to commit yourself."
The sentiments could not have been more appropriate for a 19 year-old, who was
a promising able-bodied tennis player and footballer before he was struck down
with a rare spinal condition, transverse myelitis, a week before his 13th
birthday, which left him with restricted movement in his legs. But, just six
months after being admitted to hospital, Reid was back on a tennis court in a
wheelchair and harbouring a new ambition of competing for Britain at the
Paralympics.
His dream took only three years to be fulfilled when, at 16, he qualified for
the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, where he lost in the first round. Now he is
relishing the prospect of competing at London 2012, having risen to 13th in
the world.
"Knowing there are only 500 days to gives me a real buzz," he said. "I'm
definitely feeling more excited the closer it gets."
## Related Articles
* [Reid committed to gold][5]
18 Apr 2011
* [Gordon Reid, wheelchair tennis][6]
17 Apr 2011
* [With 500 days to go, the heat is on][7]
16 Apr 2011
* [O'Shea on course to fulfil dream][8]
15 Apr 2011
* [Whitehead challenges marathon ruling][9]
12 Apr 2011
* [Whitehead's Paralympic marathon dream over][10]
11 Apr 2011
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/paralympicsport/8457339/London-20
12-Olympics-Ade-Adepitan-puts-Scottish-teenager-Gordon-Reid-in-the-mood-for-
glory-at-the-Games.html
Telegraph
## [Paralympic Sport][16]
* ### [Sport »][17]
* ### [Olympics »][18]
* ### [Simon Hart »][2]
In sport
[![London 2012 Paralympics: questions and answers with 500 days to go][19]
][20]
### [Paralympics: Q&A][20]
[![Ade Adepitan - London 2012 Olympics with 500 days to go to the Paralympics,
the heat is building up for fringe players][21] ][22]
### [500 days to go][22]
[![Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson: 2012 Paralympic Games must sow seeds to ensure
young talent can blossom][23]][24]
### [Games legacy must embrace youth][24]
[![Olympic Stadium - London 2012 Olympics competition schedule][25]][26]
### [London 2012 interactive schedule][26]
[![Sir Steve Redgrave][27]][28]
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## [THE OLYMPICS BLOG »][32]
[ ![Simon Hart][1] ][33]
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* [Tax rules are depriving UK fans of Usain Bolt preview][33]
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* [Paralympic World Cup can help London 2012 be catalyst for success][37]
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[![London 2012 Olympics: 20 questions with Nicole Cooke][38]][39]
### [20 Questions][39]
Team GB road cyclist **Nicole Cooke **talks to Telegraph Sport
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