Lankan-born Dillon LaBrooy (21) is a champion wheelchair athlete in the UK
Sri Lanka-born Dillon Audrick LaBrooy is a 21-year-old wheelchair athlete going great guns in the United Kingdom (UK) as a high ranked para athlete who has won many medals in national and international para games.
Dillon trains regularly to keep fit
In 2002, at age 4 he migrated to the UK with his parents to seek professional medical treatment.
He had his primary education at St. Thomas of Canterbury School, Guildford, Surrey in 2003, and his secondary education at St. Peter’s Comprehensive School, Guildford, Surrey, in 2008.
In 2016, Dillon was granted an apprenticeship in Business Administration in Human Resources at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, which is a National Health Services Trust. On completion of his apprenticeship in May 2018, he was granted a permanent position.
Dillon started his sporting career in 2007, as a wheelchair Tennis player, when he was in primary school. He then took up wheelchair Basketball in 2009, where he had the privilege of being selected to the British junior pool.
Dillon was inspired by the legendary British and world wheelchair athlete, David Weir CBE having watched him perform at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Dillon LaBrooy
He then took up wheelchair Racing in 2013 and is mentored by David Weir CBE him self, and coached by Jenny Archer MBE, and is a member of the Weir Archer Academy.
He progressed to be an elite wheelchair athlete within just 3 years, with his first international call to represent Great Britain in 2015 at the IWAS World Junior Games in the Netherlands, where he won Gold in the 1500m.
In April, he represented England at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia, where he finished 5th in a very strong lineup.
In August, he also represented Great Britain at the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin, Germany, where he won Bronze in the 400m and finished 5th in the 800m and 1500m. He was also a member of the Great Britain 4x100m Universal Relay team that won Gold.
He is ranked 2nd in the UK for the 1500m and 3rd in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.
His next main goals are to represent Great Britain at the 2019 World Para Athletics World Championships to be held in Dubai and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Whilst having a full time job, Dillon also trains 5 times a week to achieve his sporting goals.