DESPITE suffering from a severe disability, 11-year-old Ben Morris has achieved his Olympic dream.

Ben, of Middleleaze, has spinal muscular atrophy, which means his muscles do not receive signals from his brain, so the only part of his body he can move from his neck down is his left thumb.

On Sunday, he was cheered over the finish line at the Olympic Stadium as he competed in a unique 100m race as part of the Gold Challenge charity event.

Although he was not as quick as Usain Bolt, Ben still had the crowd on their feet as he completed the race in his wheelchair.

The youngster was given the opportunity thanks to the Rainbow Trust, who have helped support Ben and his family. He raced alongside other fundraisers and former England rugby star Austin Healy.

Ben’s dad, Doug Morris, said: “We had a great day. Ben was brilliant. He was in the same race as Austin Healy, which was great for him.

“The others in his race finished in 12 to 15 seconds which was great for them and Ben was left on the track just doing it in his own time.

“The whole stadium got behind him. The commentator did a running commentary and he was on the big screen. Everyone was on their feet by the time he crossed the finish line, which was fantastic. It was one of those moments you want to bottle.

“We can’t thank the Rainbow Trust enough. They support us in the home and they give us opportunities like going to the Olympic Stadium.

“There are many things Ben won’t be able to achieve because of his disability but he has the chance to do things other people can’t as a result.”

Chief executive of the Rainbow Trust, Heather Wood, said: “Ben and his sister Emily helped create another lifetime memory for the Morris family.

“Ben was the only wheelchair racer and had the entire stadium cheering him on.

“It was a great day for Rainbow Trust to be involved in and helped raise a lot of vital money for us.”

Also there on Sunday were the Swindon Shock basketball players, who stormed to victory in the 4x100m relay race at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, clocking an impressive 52.18 seconds.

David Colclough said: “It was an amazing experience. The noise in the stadium with people cheering was incredible and we stormed it. I still can’t believe we won.”

To find out more about the work that The Rainbow Trust do you can visit www.rainbowtrust.org.uk.