WHEN Chris Nash was told he would never walk again, he feared his life was over.

But the 27-year-old forced himself out of the house to take part in a local race in his NHS wheelchair.

It helped him turn his life around and today, the inspirational Southbourne teaching assistant competes as an elite wheelchair athlete.

Now Chris has chosen to use his sport to inspire children and fundraise for the charity Right to Play to prove anything is possible.

Chris, who will compete in the Yorkshire Marathon this weekend, said: “I've realised your disability doesn’t have to define you. With my racing I’ve proved that with hard work and determination, I can achieve my goals – something that I want to encourage everybody to do, not just people with disabilities.

“It’s taught me whatever your life situation is, you’ve just got to make the most of it.”

Chris’ life changed dramatically six years ago when he was diagnosed with a chronic neurological illness which left him a permanent wheelchair user and with serious health complications.

“Hearing that I would never walk again was the hardest thing that ever happened.

"When I heard I would be in the wheelchair for life, I genuinely thought I wouldn’t be able to achieve anything anymore.

“Everything I was doing at the time relied on my being active and I suddenly felt completely incapable.

"I felt that my life was over.”

Before the illness, Chris said he loved dance and drama, even taking part in the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2002, was in training for a marathon to raise money for charity and was studying to be a youth worker.

However as he struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis, his parents spotted a local 10 mile race also took wheelchair entrants and he began training in his NHS day chair.

“Looking back now that was a crazy thing to do, a huge challenge but it gave me back motivation and energy.

“Suddenly I felt my life had purpose again – something to aim for.

“To train and race began to give me a reason to wake up in the mornings again and put some real focus in my life.”

Today Chris says his life has turned around for the better. He wakes up at 5am to train every morning before a longer session in the evening after school to regularly win races in elite wheelchair events.

He said the children where he works at St Katharine’s Primary School often ask him about his races – and even cheer him on when they spot him training around Bournemouth.

Chris has teamed up with the charity Right to Play until the end of 2017. The charity uses sport and play to educate over one million children in some of the world’s poorest communities. For his first challenge he will compete in a 10k race, a half marathon and marathon in 21 days.

He said: “Whilst I would still rather not have my illness, I’ve had so many phenomenal opportunities that have helped me to get my life back on track.

“I hope children will benefit as a result of my support of Right to Play and understand through sport and play, you can have fun, achieve and give life a purpose.

“I’m only achieving what I do now because of hard work and the support and encouragement of some awesome friends and family. It’s shown me, and hopefully others too, what is possible, regardless of circumstances.”

For more information go to http://diganash.wordpress.com/righttoplay

To support Chris, go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/chrisrighttoplay