Being diagnosed with a brain tumour at six years old and paralysed on one side has not stopped one athlete achieving his dream.

Anthony Bryan, of Cheyne Walk, Grange Park, was wheelchair bound for two years after a life-saving operation to remove the tumour 19 years ago.

The 25-year-old said: “I was a very active child. It was hard watching my friends and family playing football whilst I was in a wheelchair.”

Determined to be active, the Enfield man knuckled down on learning to run despite being paralysed in his left arm and leg.

After practicing week in, week out, Mr Bryan fulfilled his dream by competing for England at the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association World games.

He said: “It was so exciting and fun. I managed to beat my personal best in my first run for England and win the 800m and 1,500m against people from Australia Brazil and Portugal and others.”

To add to his success, Mr Bryan has also fulfilled his aspirations of becoming a personal trainer, teaching classes for stroke recovery patients and able bodied people at a gym in Tottenham Court Road.

The personal trainer revealed he uses his own story as inspiration for people looking to shed the pounds and tone up.

He said: “I’ve always enjoyed going to the gym. Exercise has been my life. It can be daunting sometimes running a fitness class of 80 people, but I like to use my story to tell people that if I can do it, anyone can.

“One day I’d love to run my own business in helping children and adults who are disabled or with injuries to exercise. It is something which helped me massively when having to learn how to walk again on my left side after the tumour.”

After his success at the games in Nottingham, the personal trainer now has aspirations of the Great Britain team for next summer’s Rio Paralympic Games.

Just outside the time after his first two runs in the 800m and 1500m, Mr Bryan is more determined than ever make the qualifying mark later this year.

He said: “I have two weeks off and then it’s down to the hard work and determination. It would be my biggest achievement to make the Rio team. Everyone at the World Games was up-and-coming so the bar will be even higher.”