At first Rio had been very downhearted about not being able to run as fast as his friends but after he was taken to the Paralympic Athletics in 2012, he was so inspired by the people running with special legs that he wanted to get his very own running blade and to run on the Olympic Stadium track.

Run Rio Run fundraising campaign was set up to provide Rio with new lightweight prosthetic running blades throughout his childhood as they are not available on the NHS and Rio's heavy NHS prosthetic leg restricts his movement. At a cost of £4,000 for each complete running blade, he needs all the help he can get - the blade socket alone costs £2,500 andneeds to be replaced every 6-9 months, and the blade itself, which costs £1,500, will need to be replaced annually, depending on Rio's rate of growth.

The PCT is delighted to be supporting Rio Woolf

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Dorset Orthopaedic, a private prosthetics clinic, made his first dream come true on Christmas Eve 2012 after seeing this Channel 4 News film of Rio with Jonnie Peacock where he struggled to run with his old rigid NHS leg. The National Lottery granted his second wish when he took part in their Family Run in July 2013. The difference in his speed and agility is incredible, as shown here in this clip of Rio running at the Birmingham IPC Grand Prix on 29th June 2013: http://youtu.be/1joRq5BtJ3U

Rio filming with the PCT's own Lenny Wood and Robert Vegoda

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“Rio's running blade has given him a new lease of life - he is so much more confident and happier in himself, and he hasn't stopped smiling since he started wearing it - now he can keep up with his friends, even overtaking them when they race each other! “

Rio enjoed filming with the PCT committee

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The PCT donated £4,000 (the cost of a complete new prosthetic running blade for Rio). This is a big help as the blades are not available on the NHS and Rio cannot run with his heavy NHS "day" leg. The blades are essential to give Rio the most mobile future possible, keeping that spring in his step so that he can keep up with his able-bodied friends and run, hop, skip and jump just like them, and so that he can join in all aspects of PE at school and pursue his Paralympic dreams!
 
The donation will go into Rio's community trust account at HSBC where we pay in all offline donations for future payments to the private clinic, Dorset Orthopaedic (www.dorset-ortho.com), who make Rio's blades.

www.run-rio-run.co.uk, www.facebook.com/RioWoolf