Sporty siblings to represent Britain

Daniel and Denise Heneghan, from Southlands School in North Shields, have 12 months to prepare for the event in Abu Dhabi.

They are the only representatives from the North East and their parents, Jeff and Samantha, are very proud of their achievement.

“They’ve been doing judo for a number of years now, going to competitions in different parts of the country, but it’s amazing that they’ve now been selected to represent Britain,” said Samantha. “We’re very proud.”

Daniel, 16, and Denise, 15, have autism, Asperger’s syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Denise is also a talented swimmer.

Her achievement is even more remarkable given that she was in a wheelchair as a young girl and had several operations on her foot to help her walk.

The pair now need to raise £5,000 between them to get to the event, from March 14 to 21, 2019.

Their uncle, Andrew Bousfield, has created a Go Fund Me page.

‘Anything you give will be gratefully received,’ he wrote on the page. ‘The money raised does not go to me or any individual but to the charity, Special Olympics Great Britain. Every single pound counts!’

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/dan-denises-olympic-dream