Overcoming adversity is commonplace for Lanre Sowami. The 24-year-old from Chatham was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma as a four-year-old, and had to learn to walk and eat again after a lengthy spell of treatment.
His battle with illness saw him lose use of both of his legs, leaving him in a wheelchair, though his non-specialist school always encouraged his love of sport - in particular basketball.
However, there came a time where competing became more challenging. “I played the running game with an actual basketball team at school, and they incorporated me into that team,” said Sowami, who is being supported by Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) through SportsAid this year. “We travelled to different places to play but it got a bit awkward, because I was running over people’s toes and things like that.
It was inclusive but they had to show me another way that I could participate in more. “A coach got in contact with my physio and my physio found me a team in Maidstone (the Rebels), and that was my first club.