BOWLS mad Rhys Davies, from Pantyffynnon, has never allowed his disability to get in the way of his dreams and the youngster has been busy solving problems to ensure he gets to play his beloved sport.

Seven-year old Rhys, who was born with no arms, is so determined to play he has inspired a number of different people to come up with practical solutions to help him.

With help from parents Sian and Andrew, coaches at his Dinefwr Junior Bowls Club and technicians at the Artificial Limbs and Appliance Services Swansea (ALAC), Rhys is hoping to be kitted out with a range of equipment designed to aid him with the sport.

These include a specially designed cup shaped bowling hand being produced by ALAC and a ramp and shoot system created by the club.

Rhys, who lives in Mill Terrace, with his parents and 13 year-old brother Jac has been determined to play bowls since the age of five.

Already a competitive gymnast- coming third in a recent Sports Disability Wales national championship- as well as being a purple belt in Chi Kwan Do and an enthusiastic swimmer, Rhys couldn’t wait to try out bowls.

The club created a special shoot using plastic piping to enable Rhys to direct the ball and the Ysgol Blaenau pupil loves learning the new skills needed.

To help him further, Sian and Andrew approached the team at ALAC to see if they could come up with a prosthetic hand to would allow him to bowl in the correct way, a challenge that was eagerly taken up.

The cup shaped artificial limb will fit onto Rhys existing robotic arms, which he uses to grip the steering bars of his bike and scooter, allowing him to participate in the bowls sessions more fully- a prospect he is delighted about.

Said Sian: ‘He was determined to play bowls. He used to go along to watch Jac play and would ask every day when he could play. The club created the shoot and as soon as he could, he started playing.

‘Obviously there were some hurdles to overcome, so we approached the team at ALAC. They wanted to help so we came up with a design that could clip onto the robotic arms.

‘ALAC have been a great support in helping to overcome any hurdles we come across as he grows up but Rhys is very determined and a great problem solver himself.

‘He has never let his disability slow him down- he’s a typical seven-year-old who loves being active and we’ve never treated him any differently because of it.’

Dinefwr Bowls Club is also hoping to make a more permanent stand and ramp for Rhys to use during his sessions and is appealing for local businesses to help with sponsoring the club or donating equipment.

Anyone who could help with this can contact Brian Rees on 01269 597754.