THREE years after doctor's told him he only had a 30 per cent chance of surviving bone cancer Laurence Whiteley, of Northallerton, defied the odds and is now aiming for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
Laurence was a promising triathlete before his diagnosis in June 2006 turned his life upside down. It looked like his sporting dreams were in tatters after being told he was suffering from the rare life-threatening disease osteosarcoma, which saw him undergo nine months of chemotherapy.
"I was British Tr iathlon regional champion in the 13-14 age group when I started getting pains under my right knee, " said Whiteley.
"My GP said it was growing pains and rest would cure it. I didn't do any sport for a couple of months so I went to a physio to see if there were any exercises I could do."
But after he was diagnosed with cancer he had extensive therapy to save his leg, eventually having the limb rebuilt with a titanium implant. A year later Laurence was walking unaided and had already begun to pursue his sporting ambitions in the water.
He added: "I sort of hobbled in on crutches and got in.
"It was quite funny. Originally it was for general fitness but then someone said why don't you try disability swimming?"
Laurence has been accepted on to the ASA Regional Development Programme and hopes to be selected for the World Class Development Programme for the 2012 Paralympics. He trains around seven times a week, often starting at 5am and is currently ranked third in his category in the country, eighth in Europe and 16th in the world.
"I'm going to try out for the Commonwealth games next year ifI can improve my time, " he said.
Nigel Armstrong, Managing Director of The Bannatyne Group, said: "Laurence's ability to not only overcome such major obstacles, but also succeed in his chosen sport is absolutely amazing.
"He has shown exceptional commitment and tenacity to get back into the pool and set his sights on competing at the highest level. Laurence is truly a shining light for North East sport and he should be an inspiration to others."
Monday is the closing day for you to nominate your stars of grassroots sport at this year's Local Heroes Awards. You can nominate online via website: www. localheroesawards. co. uk Simply click on 'nominate' and you will be directed to a page where you can submit a nomination for one of the 2009 awards or, you can complete the nomination form below.