By Abi Curran, Sportsbeat

Kyran Bishop believes he has the tools to cap a rapid rugby rise from Pontypool prodigy to the Paralympic Games.

Bishop, 21, who has cerebral palsy, has embarked on an incredible sporting journey which now sees him play regularly at club level in south Wales.

From making his Ospreys debut aged 15, to kit shoots with rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones and attending the launch of the Wheelchair Rugby European Championship at the Principality Stadium, the sport has become the very fabric of his life.

“It’s given me dreams and aspirations and given me people to look up to,” said Bishop, who is supported by SportsAid and Canterbury and was speaking ahead of SportsAid Week 2023.

“I went to a taster session when I was 13, and that's where I met the head coach of Ospreys’ senior team at the time, Paul Jenkins.

“I also met David Anthony, who came fresh from the Paralympics, with his blue Mohican, tattoos on his arm and muscles. I used to do talks in school with him and now I play with him – wheelchair rugby has changed my life.

“It was scary at the start but then as I got older, I just relaxed more. There is one big goal which is to represent my country in the Paralympics.

SportsAid Week 2023 is coming, with the annual initiative, which was launched in 2016, taking place from Monday 6 March to Sunday 12 March.

This year’s theme focuses on ‘Accessibility and Inclusion’ as the charity shines a spotlight on the country’s most talented young athletes and celebrates the incredible work being undertaken by its partners to support the future of British sport.

The theme of ‘Accessibility and Inclusion’ is an opportunity for the charity’s partners to highlight their own work in this area during SportsAid Week, with SportsAid athletes recently revealing that accessibility and the cost of sport are the issues they care most passionately about.

It will also open up discussions on the progress being made, as well as the challenges faced, in the sports sector.

Bishop has developed into the face of the sport in Pontypool and, regularly told he is a role model by the people around him, wants to ensure that more people become aware of the sporting opportunities that are available.

“A lot of kids don't actually know about wheelchair rugby. A lot have come up to me and said that I'm an inspiration to them,” added Bishop, who is funded by SportsAid and commercial partner Canterbury.

“Sport needs to be more inclusive for other people, other disabled people and those with health issues. People just need to know what's out there.

“We need to work on promotion for the club and for sports in general and make stuff easy for disabled people.

“We should have more taster sessions around Wales and get people like me going into schools and talking about wheelchair rugby and about different sports.

“I just want to let people know that there are different sports out there for them so they can have a really good go at it.”

SportsAid Week 2023 takes place from Monday 6 March to Sunday 12 March! Join us for a dedicated week of fun and awareness-raising based around theme of accessibility and inclusion. Please visit www.sportsaid.org.uk