Sports personalilty award hero Bailey, eight, set to return

A Doncaster boy is to return to an event which led to him being honoured in the Sports Personality of the Year awards.
Bailey Matthews from Doncaster crosses the finish line  to complete his first ever triathlon at Castle Howard last year.Bailey Matthews from Doncaster crosses the finish line  to complete his first ever triathlon at Castle Howard last year.
Bailey Matthews from Doncaster crosses the finish line to complete his first ever triathlon at Castle Howard last year.

Bailey Matthews, aged eight, will return to the Castle Howard Triathlon in North Yorkshire, a year after footage of him taking part in the event went viral online.

It was a heart-warming performance watched by millions which led to the youngster being honoured at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

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Bailey, who has cerebral palsy, was shown bravely overcoming the limits of his condition to complete a swim, bike ride and run at the event last July.

Despite stumbling twice on his way to the finish line, he picked himself up and ran the final 20 metres of the event without his walking frame.

The video of him abandoning his walking aid to cross the finish line, posted on our website, was viewed on Facebook more than 27 million times in just a few weeks. Since then, Bailey has been awarded a Pride of Britain Award and the BBC Helen Rollason Sports Personality of the Year Award.

The event is being held on July 23-24. Bailey’s father Jono said: “Bailey sees himself to be no different to others and just wants to give everything a go.

He added: “Training is in full flow and Bailey can’t wait to take part.”