AN INSPIRATIONAL young St Ives' sportsman was invited to the House of Commons this week to meet Paralympic legend Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Mark Stevens, 20, travelled to London with dad Brian to meet the wheelchair racing legend on Monday.
Mark, a double leg amputee, was invited to the gathering of Sports Leaders after meeting and impressing sports officials at a Truro College event.
The keen surfer is now at college in Worcester doing a degree in sports coaching and disability sports, which includes coaching children in the brutally physical sport of wheelchair basketball – or murderball.
Sports Leaders UK train over 150,000 people each year in sports leadership in training centres around the UK, including Truro College, where staff were fundamental in Mark's development as a sportsman and coach.
Speaking from Westminster, Mark said: "This came out of an event at Truro College in April.
"It's been great. Meeting Tanni Grey-Thompson has made my year.
"We had a good chat – it was just really nice. They were all lovely people."
Baroness Grey-Thompson, the president of Sports Leaders was at the House of Commons highlighting Energy Club, an out of school physical activity scheme for children.
Mark added: "It was just a meet and greet, really, but they were great people to meet and you never know where these meetings will lead at some future date.
"In the meantime I've got to concentrate on what I am doing at Gloucester, which is going great. It's just a pity it's so far from the sea."
Dad Brian said: "I'm so proud of Mark. It's just brilliant that he was invited up here.
"Meeting Tanni Grey-Thompson was the icing on the cake."
