BENFLEET’S sports-mad teenager Matthew Hamilton is just weeks away from flying out to another international sports festival.

He has been asked to compete in the Paralimpiada Escolares 2014 and will travel to São Paolo in Brazil for the competition which runs from November 22 to 28. The Brazil Paralympic school games event has attracted competitors from all over the world and, as a member of the British team, the youngster is expeting to compete in his favoured event, the 400m.

But the sprinter also has another string to his bow and earlier this year scooped a bronze at the national cycling track championships in Manchester for the 200m flying start.

However, it’s São Paolo where he’ll be next and he’s looking forward to competing at the top level in one of the most exotic and exciting countries in the world.

He said: “The invite to compete came out of the blue. They rang me and asked if I wanted to take part and I said yes. I was going to go to a party that weekend but I thought I’d better not go to the party and do some more training instead!

“I have definitely stepped up the training since then.

“Usually in the winter you’re training for endurance, but with this coming up I’ve stepped up the speed work,” he added.

Hamilton is no stranger to international events having competed in France, Spain and the USA before.

And in August he was chosen to represent Great Britain at the International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation World Junior Games in Stoke Mandeville – competing in the T47 400m sprint.

The teenager has little strength or manoeuvrability in his right hand, arm and shoulder, a condition called Erbs Palsy which he sustained at birth.

Echo:

Matt Hamilton has had his arm in a sling

But things have been tricky for the King John Sixth form pupil in recent weeks because he’s had his arm in a sling for several weeks as a way of helping him straighten his limb.

But, luckily for him, the sling comes off just in time for Hamilton to compete.

“He said: “I looked at the dates and it works. They had wanted to keep it on for eight weeks but it can come off in six so that was just in time to fly and compete. I can’t wait. Who would not want to be out in Brazil at this time of year?” The teenager’s interest was boosted in 2012 by the Olympics and since then he’s done well in various sports, from track cycling to long jump and has even talked about longer distance running. Hamilton is in the sixth form of King John School and is a member of at Basildon AC.