Profile of a Young Athlete: Mickey Bushell
Saplings Magazine Sunday 03rd October 2004 By Angela Cerrito

What does it take to be a Paralympic champion? Fourteen-year-old Mickey Bushell, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, is working toward that goal. He got hooked on wheelchair racing three years ago after a wheelchair racing demonstration at his school, in Birmingham, England.

He began training once a week and, after only eight weeks, entered his first competition and won two gold medals (60meter & 100meter speed races). Mickey now trains three times a week for two to three hours each session. His training includes stretching, strengthening, racing technique, speed, and distance training.  Racing has brought many unforgettable experiences to Mickey's life.

He earned the chance to race against the top wheelchair racers in England, and he's broken national records in his age group. When asked what it feels like to cross the finish line first, Mickey said, "When the crowd is cheering and my heart is pumping, I get to that finish line and it's fantastic. I just want to do it again."  Mickey was invited to meet with Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain, an experience he describes as "absolutely amazing! I was gobsmacked when my mom told me! The thought of rolling down Downing Street was unreal." Unreal maybe, but it really did happen. On July 19, 2004, Mickey rolled down that famous street and into Number 10. There he mingled with celebrities and collected autographs. 

Mickey just received an invitation to The Disability Potential Talent Academy. The organization assists athletes who may be selected for the Paralympic Games. The invitation brings Mickey one step closer to representing Great Britain in the Paralympics in Beijing in 2008. Mickey has been racing long enough to know the difficult work involved in competitive athletics. To make it to the Paralympics, he said, "I have a chance if I keep on improving and making the qualifying times."  Mickey's advice to kids considering wheelchair racing, "Go along to a club that can let you borrow a race chair and have a go. You can't win every single race, so accept that. Don't give up just because you're having a bad day." 

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Wheelchair sport team nets £5,000 cash boost
Shrewsbury Chronicle Friday 10th September 2004 by Unknown

The first wheelchair netball team in Britain has received a massive boost in the form of a lottery grant. The 5,000 grant from awards for all will go towards 14 specialised wheelchairs, which cost a total of £14,000.  And now the organisers of the Shrewsbury wheelchair netball club are also keen to hear from any budding players who would like to join.  Two Shrewsbury women are behind the new scheme. Tina Owen, of Bowbrook and Janette Price, of Fords Heath, have already developed youth coaching for able-bodied players in the town and wanted to start a group for young people in wheelchairs. Their fund raising efforts started at the beginning of summer and they have already raised more than £10,000.  The aim is to open the first UK wheelchair netball club in January, They have organised a taster session on November 7th and the target group will consist of young people between the age 11 and 16, who live in Shropshire, or attend a county school, and are wheelchair users.  

Tina said: "The club will focus on the inclusion of disabled players, to develop fundamental and score skills that will lead onto the full game of netball."  "We have dedicated AENA qualified, registered coaches and will use the Priory School Sports Centre, Roman Road, Shrewsbury, which has been built with specific consideration to disabled sportsmen and women." <<Support for the group has been pledged by Priory school student and wheelchair basketball player Tom Docherty and athlete Mickey Bushell.>>  The club is aimed at schools in Shropshire and will be the first of it's kind in the country.  For more information or to book a place on the taster session contact Tina Owen on :01743 359 538 or Email enquiries@shrewsburynetball.co.uk

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  Shropshire Life Supplement in Shropshire star Friday 20th August 2004  by Cathy Stanworth

Afterwards his coach Paul Hunt congratulated Mickey on having been spotted by a UK Athletic Talent scout and gave him a form to fill in. This is one of the first steps to being selected for the disability Potential Program for the Great Britain Squad. Mickey's progress will now be closely monitored by UK Athletics. It is their job to select athletes to represent Great Britain at the Paralympics.  It is now hoped that Mickey may be picked for Beijing in 2008 or the games in 2012. The same month (JULY) Mickey and his family were invited to Number 10 Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair and sporting heroes, including England football team manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, former athlete and now member of the House of Lords, Sir Sebastian Coe, athlete Steve Ovett, retired boxing celebrity Chris Eubank, footballer Trevor Brooking and England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, to help promote London's Olympic Bid.  This year Mickey has been nominated for the Junior Disabled Sportsman of the year, Last year he came runner up, Last year he received £2,500 from The Lady Taverners Young Athlete Award, which paid for his first new racing chair. Mickey went on to repay the trust by raising £3,026.50 for it by winning The 2004 London Mini Marathon. He has now won the London Mini Marathon and the Manchester Mini Marathon two years in a row. 

Pushing the racing chair with just his thumb he can race up to 19mph
He lives with his parents, Peter and Shelley and his two-year-old brother Jason. Visiting their home it was obvious how proud and supportive his parents are of him. Yet Mickey, far from blowing his own trumpet, is a young man of few words. Dad Peter said: "He is really laid back." Mum Shelley added: "He gets excited when he's won, but it's like trying to get blood out of a stone trying to get his results out of him." It was fellow wheelchair racer and England Paralympian gold medalist Debbie Brennan, also from Telford, who first encouraged Mickey.  Mickey has obviously made a lot of friends at Birchfield, but he is serious about racing and his friends can also be his rivals. Pushing the racing chair with just his thumb he can race up to 13 or 14 miles an hour on the flat and 19 miles an hour down a slope.  To keep in shape Mickey does training in racing technique as well as doing circuit training and stretches and he also works with a medicine ball. Press ups, sit ups and dips also form part of his fitness routine. Although he competes all over the UK, Mickey has qualified for events in Scotland and abroad, including the Swiss Open this August (2004), but lack of funds meant he couldn't go. Next year is the junior Europeans in Finland near Helsinki. Mickey and his parents have now decided to start actively seeking sponsorship.  Any interested companies or individuals can contact Mickey or his parents through the website. The family would like to thank Mickey's coach, Paul Hunt for being his friend and Mentor, The Lord Silkin School for its support, The Lady Taverners, and former England Women's Cricket Captain, Rachael Heyhoe Flint MBE who has supported Mickey.

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Athlete in date with PM Blair
Shropshire star Friday 23rd July 2004 by Ben Godsal

A young Telford wheelchair athlete "almost fainted" after being told he would be one of the guests attending an event at 10 Downing street. Fourteen-year-old Mickey Bushell said meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair and England football manager Sven Goran Erikson on Monday had been the highlight of the evening. Mickey, who recently won the London Marathon for wheelchair athletes in his age group, spent the evening in the capital as part of the city's 2012 Olympic bid. And the thrilled youngster said being in the same room as two of Britain's best known faces was an experience that would live long in the memory. The talented teenager was nominated by the managing director of the English Federation for Disability Sport, Dennis Hodgkins, to meet Tony and Cherie Blair as part of the government's drive to host the games in eight years time.

Mickey, who competes for top athletics club Birchfield Harriers, also had the chance to rub shoulders with Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and double Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe at the event on Monday 
Brilliant
He said "I couldn't believe it when my mum told me I had been chosen to go to Number 10. I didn't know what to say. After I got over the shock I thought brilliant, I am actually going to walk through Number 10 - how cool is that! "When I got in there I almost fainted with excitement." The highlights for Mickey was seeing his dad shaking hands with the England manager and having a lengthy chat with former middleweight boxing champion Chris Eubank. His only disappointment was that he was not allowed a photographic memento of his special day. "I had to have my photo taken outside Number 10 because there is a strict no cameras security rule in the building. But hopefully I will be able to get a copy of one or two of the pictures that the official photographer took," he said. 

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Mickey Bushell won a hat-trick of national titles
Great Barr Observer 16th July 2004 by Tom McCook 
Birchfield Harriers

Gold Medals Galore!
Mickey Bushell scored a hat-trick of track victories at the Disabled National Junior Championships at a very wet and windy Stanley Park in Blackpool last weekend. The 14-year old stagbearer struck gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. Establishing new national under-15 age group records in the latter 2 events in the process.

Not to be outdone, club colleague Steven Mason also picked up three gold medals for the same distances plus a bronze for the 4X60m Relay. He also broke the National 100m age group record. Kieron Murphy convincingly won the distance club title, with an impressive throw of 21.30m into a strong head wind. 

Kevin Ward took home a pair of silver medals from the 400m and 800m races and a bronze for his 200m. Mickey, Kevin, Steven and another racer from the West Midlands, Jake Carrington finished in silver medal positions in both the 4X100m and 4X400m Relays. The West Midlands emerged as the winning region again for the third consecutive year in an extremely successful championship for the leading club in the region. Mickey and Kieron's performances were so impressive, that their future performances are to be monitored by the UK Athletics Disability Programme team. 

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D.S.E Junior National Championships, Blackpool 
By Tom McCook -Featured on Birchfield Harriers Website 8th July 2004  

Four months after he mounted a successful defence of his London Mini Wheelchair Marathon Wheelchair title, Mickey Bushell scored a hat trick of track victories at the Disabled National Junior Championships at a very wet and windy, Stanley Park in Blackpool last weekend. 14-year old Mickey struck 3 gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races.  He also established a new National in the 200m & 400m Under 15 age group record at a meeting, which attracted over 370 athletes from all over Great Britain. Not to be outdone, Steven Mason picked up 3 gold medals for the same three distances plus a bronze for the 4X60m Relay. Steven also broke the National 100m age group record. Kieron Murphy convincingly won the distance club, with an impressive throw of 21.30m into a strong head wind! Kevin Ward took home a pair of silver medals from the 400m and 800m races and a bronze for his 200m. Mickey, Kevin, Steven and another racer from the West Midlands, 

Jake Carrington finished in silver medal positions in both the 4X100m and 4X400m Relays.  Mickey and Kieron’s future performances are to be monitored by the UK Athletics Disability Programme team.  The West Midlands emerged as the winning region again for the third consecutive year in an extremely successful Championship for the leading club in the region.

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Paul Passes on Fun Run Skills
Sutton Coldfield Observer Friday 4th June 2004 

Paul Hunt is a Fun Run Veteran. For the past 15 years local people have cheered the wheelchair athlete over the finishing line. "I usually manage to finish in about 48 Minutes," he explained. However this year Paul -who is in the Beijing Paralympics - will be taking it easy. "I've been training two junior athletes so I want to take it easy and follow them around the course," he said. Kevin Ward, aged 16 and Mickey Bushell 13, have been training with Paul for the big day and are looking forward to watching him in action. 

<< Picture LFT-RT: Kevin Ward, Paul Hunt & Me

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Mickey Bushell 
shows off his new race chair

London Marathon Delight for Mickey
Great Barr Observer Friday 23rd April 2004 By Tom McCook Birchfield Harriers 

Birchfield Harriers Marathon Marvel Mickey Bushell enjoyed another capital gain last weekend when he successfully defended his London Marathon Title. The 13 year old repeated his success of 2003 by winning the 11-13 years category of the under 14's wheelchair race, which gave him sixth place overall in the junior event. Bushell, who was born with seven vertabrae missing and no spinal chord, admitted the race had been hard work but very rewarding. "It was raining just before the start but I hardly noticed it as my heart was racing," he said.  "Luckily the rain stopped as we set off but I had a little trouble with the wind going through Southwark tunnel and I lost a bit of time going through there. "I could hear the crowds cheering even before I came out of the tunnel. 

It sounded like a plane taking off, it was really loud. But it gave me a real boost. When I rounded the corner into the Mall and I could hear the finish line in the distance, I thought at last"! "I sprinted the hardest I could all the way to the finish line. The crowds were fantastic, they cheered and shouted me all the way to the end. "Even though the course was wet and a bit windy, I was very happy not only to have finished but also to win my age group again" Bushell added that he was really pleased because his win served a dual purpose - he was not only competing for himself and Birchfield Harrier but also fundraising money for The Lady Taverners. Along with Wolverhampton FC and the FA Community Fund, the charity have funded a new race chair for Bushell. As a thank you, Bushell has now raised over £2,300 for The Lady Taverners Charities.

Improved

Another stag bearer, 16-year old Kevin Ward, improved on his performance last year by two-and-a-half minutes to finish an excellent third overall in the wheelchair competition, completing the 2.65 mile course in 13mins 50seconds. Phil Hinch was the most high profile stag in the television coverage as he encountered paced Birhan Dagne, the English National Cross Country Champion, for 24 miles. The experience whetted Hinch's appetite and he is keen to run the London Marathon again. "It was a fantastic experience," he said. "The crowd were very supportive to all the runners." Nine other Birchfield Harriers completed the famous race, with the fastest being Dr Martin Wilkinson in 3.13:44hrs, followed by Peter Lawton in 3.27hrs. Alex Elliott, aged 62 from Great Barr, completed the course in 3.32:32hrs and Mike Woodlock also broke the four hour barrier. The other finishers were Alan Britton, Barry Roberts, Terry Parker, Ken Parry and Clifton Miller. 

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Mickey Bushell with his marathon 
Trophy & Medal

Bushell Does it Again
Shropshire Star Thursday 22nd April 2004 By Matthew Hendrick 

Shropshire schoolboy Mickey Bushell has kept his success story rolling by winning the wheelchair section of the London Marathon for his age group for the second consecutive year. The 13-year-old Lord Silkin pupil (pictured showing off his winning trophy) was the first to cross the finishing line in the 11-13 category on the special two-and-a-half mile course. 
Mickey, who was born with a rare disability which affects his spine, completed the event in a time of 16 minutes and 20 seconds - which was just over his time for the previous year. His proud father Peter said: "We're absolutely delighted for him because he's worked so hard and he really deserves it." Mickey, who trains three times a week with Birchfield Harriers, raised £2,300 for the Lady Taverners charity which was set up in aid of disabled and disadvantaged children. He was named as the Birmingham Sports Council's young disabled athlete of the year recently. 

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Taverners Marathon Runners Brave The Elements
Featured on The Lord Taverners Website: 20th April 2004 By The Lord Taverners

Team Taverners stormed home - literally - in a rain sodden London Marathon. The team of 78 runners participated in the 26.2 mile course for The Lord's Taverners and The Lady Taverners, which raised an estimated £100,000 for the charity.  

Each team member was encouraged by the fearless leadership of Team Captain, Lt Col Leo Callow, who was running his eleventh London marathon for The Lord's Taverners, this year completing the course in a sprightly three hours and 51 minutes.  

Chairman of The Lord's Taverners, John Ayling, chose to celebrate his 60th birthday in style, participating in the marathon with his daughter, Caroline

He was greeted at the recovery party with a rousing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday' and enough birthday cake for everyone to share.  Nicholas Cook The Lord's Taverners Essex Regional Chairman, was very happy to complete the course, despite the terrible weather conditions.  “It was very unpleasant weather with a cold start that just got wetter as the day moved on.  The wet road, wet feet and cold made the event a bit more challenging.  Indeed in some places the road had such deep puddles that swimming was almost an option.” 

The Lady Taverners were also thrilled that 13 year old Mickey Bushell competed in the 11-13 year old section of the London Adidas Mini Wheelchair Marathon and won! His extraordinary time placed him sixth overall which is a brilliant result.  Mickey raced in a specially fitted racing wheelchair which was part funded by The Lady Taverners under the charity's Sports Wheelchair Sponsorship scheme.  In recognition of the support received from The Lady Taverners, Mickey collected more than £2,300 in sponsorship money which he will be giving to the charity.

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I Won at The London Marathon!
Featured on Mon 19th Apr 2004: CBBC News Round Website (Press Packers Report) by Mickey Bushell

I competed in this year's London Adidas Mini Wheelchair Marathon representing Birchfield Harriers. As I was waiting for the start of my race, I had the chance to meet Martin Johnson the England rugby captain. That was fantastic; he is even bigger in real life than he is on TV.  It was raining just before the start of my race, but I hardly noticed it as my heart was racing. Luckily the rain stopped as we set off, but I had a little trouble with the wind going through Southwark tunnel. It was a head wind, and as I am so light it was a hard push through the tunnel so I lost a bit of time going through there.

I could hear the crowds cheering even before I came out of the tunnel, it sounded like a plane taking off, it was really loud! But it gave me a real boost. The wind eased a bit, and it got easier to push.  When I rounded the corner into the mall I could see the finish line in the distance, I thought: 'AT LAST'! So I sprinted the hardest I could all the way to the finish line. The crowds were fantastic, they cheered and shouted me all the way to the end.

When I crossed the line they gave me my medal and told me that I was the winner of the 11-13 boys! This was my second year of competing in the mini marathon. Last year I won the 11-13 year boys category and came 7th overall, this year I also won the 11-13 year boys category and came 6th overall.  Even though the course was wet and a bit windy I was very happy not only to have finished but also to win my age group again. This year is the last time that I compete in the 11-13 boys, because next year I will move up to the 14-17 boys category.  I am very grateful to The Lady Taverners and The Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Community Fund for jointly paying for a brand new race chair for me as I had been sharing my coach's chair up until then.  As a thank you I collected sponsors to raise money towards The Lady Taverner Charities and so far I've managed to raise over £2,300.  All in all, win or lose, I had a fantastic time, and can't wait until next year!"

MAY 2004 ~ UPDATE: The final total, I along with The Lady Taverners Managed to Raise was £3,026.50

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13-year old Mickey Bushell's bid to successfully defend his title!
By Tom McCook -Featured on Birchfield Harriers Website 16th April 2004  

13-year old Mickey Bushell will also bid to successfully defend his title on Sunday morning in the Under 14 wheelchair category at the London Marathon. The Birchfield Harrier was born with the rare complaint (lumbar sacral agenesis congenital paraplegia), which means that he has seven vertebrae missing and no lower spinal column. His coach, Paul Hunt, by a strange coincidence, was born with the same disability. Thanks to the generosity of the Lords Taverners, Mickey was presented with his own wheelchair, which he will race in this weekend. The young Stag, who will be fourteen on 8 June, completed the three miles course a year ago in 15 minutes 29 seconds to convincingly win the Under 14 age group event by a margin of 25 seconds. Mickey defeated several older competitors and his time was fast enough to have given him seventh place in the Under 17 event.

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Mickey meets heroes before marathon bid
Shropshire Star Friday 9th April 2004 

A young Telford wheelchair athlete has met his Wolves football heroes just weeks before taking to the streets of London in a bid to win his second successive junior marathon. Mickey Bushell, 13, who is a pupil at Lord Silkin School, met the Wolverhampton Wanderers team at its training ground yesterday, as a reward for winning at last years BBC Midlands TV awards, The Lady Taverners Young Disabled Award for 2003. He was presented with the prize in February by former England female cricketer and now Wolves public relations executive Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, who organised a trip to meet the players. The youngster will also get the star treatment when he takes to the executive boxes at Molineux on Monday. The whizz kid will then take on the world's top wheelchair athletes in his age group. 

And thanks to donations from two national charities the youngster will have the best tools for the job.  The Lady Taverners and FA Community Fund clubbed together to fund a £2,200 top-of-the-range racing wheelchair as he attempts to win his second Flora London Marathon. Ms Heyhoe Flint said: "we are delighted to be able to help Mickey, and our joint sponsorship with the FA Community Fund has helped a very special Midlands lad."

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Accolades for Disabled Star
Shropshire Star Friday 5th March 2004 By Carl Morris

A Shropshire Athletics star born without a spinal chord has been named Young disabled sportsman of the year at a prestigious award ceremony. Mickey Bushell, 13 picked up the award from Birmingham City Council after a year that saw him win a host of top races, including The Mini London Marathon. 
Fantastic 
Mickey, of Telford, was born with Lumbar Sacral Spinal Agenysis Congenital Paraplegia, which means he was without the lower seven vertebrae and spinal chord. His proud father, Pete Bushell, said “he had a fantastic year, everyone is very proud of him” Mickey, who is a pupil of The Lord Silkin School in Stirchley, has also been placed 92nd in the world in his category for wheelchair athletes.  Mr Bushell added: “All the events he races are great experiences for him. He is friends with some of the top athletes in the country.

As well as the under-13 London mini marathon last year, Mickey also triumphed in the Manchester Marathon and the West Midlands Regional Marathon. But the biggest event of the year for Mickey was undoubtedly his first international, the British Open last August. His qualifying times were so quick that he competed against adults from 31 other countries.  Jane Woodall, headteacher at the Lord Silkin School said: “Mickey really deserves this award to recognise all the hard work he puts in to achieving his outstanding sporting success.” 

Please Note: West Midlands Regional Marathon (This was an error it should have read West Mid's Regional Athletics Competition)

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