How Foster Care helped shape a Champion

David, a young person in care, fought against the odds to become a Gymnastic Champion in Scotland and England. 

David has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Global Development Delay and Dyslexia. He has a high level of energy, but little understanding of risk and poor memory retention. All of this means that David required support in many areas, such as self-care, which made it difficult for him to manage mainstream schools. His disorder also means that he requires a stable routine, boundaries and clear direction in his life in order to thrive.

David went into foster care at the age of 11, as he needed more support than his family could give him, and he has now been with his foster family for eight years. They have taken time to work with David to give him a focus and redirect his energy into skills that can help him to grow in a positive way. As he loved sports, David was happy to find that he was matched with an active foster family, and soon enough they began taking him to gymnastics classes for people with disabilities. Since then, David has been training four times a week. Not only has he been a Scottish and British Gymnastics Champion, he has also competed on behalf of Great Britain several times and won over 10 gold and silver medals in international competitions.

Regular training sessions and competing abroad have given David opportunities that he would never have had without his foster family’s support and encouragement. These opportunities have allowed him to build his self-confidence and pursue his dreams in sport. David has grown into a self-confident and selfless young adult who, at the age of 19, has secured an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic. His foster family have been there every step of the way to ensure that David received the support he needed and now he is giving back as a volunteer coach to disabled children in his local area, and by winning medals for his country.