WITHIN five years of starting wheelchair racing, Dan Bramall will head to the Paralympic Games in Brazil as a medal contender.

The 31-year-old from Middlewich, a former student at The Winsford Academy, will contest the T33 100m in Rio in September.

His selection by the British Paralympic Association this week comes hot on the heels of a silver medal in the IPC Athletics European Championships in Italy earlier this month and a gong of the same colour at the IPC World Championships in Qatar last October.

“I'm over the moon to be selected for my first Paralympic Games,” said the Stockport Harriers athlete, who has cerebral palsy.

“It is what I've dreamed about for so long, so to know I've got my ticket booked on the plane, it's an amazing feeling.

“I tasted success in Doha last year and I’m now even more motivated to show what I'm capable of on the biggest of all stages.”

Bramall’s inclusion in the first wave of track and field athletes named for ParalympicsGB in Rio sees him alongside his hero David Weir, a four-time gold medallist at London 2012, and fellow Paralympic champions Aled Davies, Hannah Cockroft and Richard Whitehead.

“As I’ve said to him, he is one of 13 to be selected for Great Britain for the Paralympics in Rio. He’s in there with some big-time names,” said his club coach Rick Hoskins.

“He knows he has got to up his game but if he does work hard he could come home with a silver or gold medal.

“If he does, I’ll be the proudest coach.”

And Bramall, whose potential was acknowledged with British Athletics World Class Performance Programme support in 2014, added: “It's great to be announced alongside athletes like Dave Weir, who has been so successful at previous Games and I will be doing all I can to make sure I'm in with a medal shout in September.”

Hoskins revealed the drive behind the man who first knocked on his front door five years ago saying he would like to give wheelchair racing a try.

“He’s quiet, shy but very assertive,” said the Harriers coach.

“He knows what he wants to do, where he wants to be, and he goes out to get it.

“When Dan started with me after coming to my house in his car one day, he’d done no previous sport. I think he spent time on his Play Station.

“As he has said to me, he was a lad who did nothing and wanted to come along and have a go at wheelchair racing.

“I saw that he had some speed. He’s worked hard, progressed, and now he’s ranked third in the world.”

Anyone who can help Dan with sponsorship can make contact via the Guardian. Email mparsons@guardiangrp.co.uk