Inspirational Aboyne teen with cerebral palsy beat the bullies thanks to martial arts

Any parent would be proud of their son reaching the level of winning medals in his chosen sport.

But for Steve Wilson, watching Liam beat his opponents at a recent jiu jitsu competition meant so much more.

Because Liam was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 18 months old.

The 16-year-old can’t stand unaided and Steve lifts him out of his wheelchair onto the mat when he fights.

As for Liam himself, discovering martial arts has been life-changing — and has helped him keep the bullies at bay.

I spoke to Liam and Steve about what a difference judo and jiu-jitsu have made to the family — and what their hopes are for the future.

Diagnosis and dad’s feelings

When Liam was born, he was a welcome addition to the family, joining parents Steve and Lynn and big sisters Anna and Olivia.

But worries emerged about his physical development that led to a diagnosis.

Steve said: “As his mum and dad, we could see that there were some developmental milestones that he wasn’t hitting.

“It was things like being able to sit up on his own and crawling, things like that.”

After some investigations, doctors confirmed when Liam was 18 months that he had cerebral palsy.

Steve described this as the point that “led us on the journey in what we needed to do for Liam”.

News like that would be a bombshell to any family — and it came with a cruel uncertainty.

Steve explained: “The trouble with CP is that it’s so wide-ranging and no two people are the same.

“So we didn’t know what was going to happen and how Liam was going to be affected.

“It’s not like you can prepare and the doctors can say ‘he’ll be able to do this, but he won’t be able to do that’, you know?”

One thing that became a constant from diagnosis onwards was a quest for the best treatment for little Liam.

He had his first operation when he was two and a half at a clinic in the American city of St Louis.

That was called SDR — selective dorsal rhisotomy. It involved cutting some nerves in Liam’s spinal cord to remove some of the tightness in his muscles.

He also had another operation in 2014 on Liam’s feet and ankles.

Steve added: “We went back to St Louis a couple more times for therapy and some equipment.

“Then the head of the department there moved to Texas and set up her own clinic and that’s where the link came to go back to Texas.”

Liam went to Texas every year from 2016 to 2019. He and Steve went back in May this year for the first time since Covid.

Discovering martial arts

With a plan for Liam’s medical needs, the next aim was to find him a sport or hobby that he would truly love.

Steve remembers: “We tried different sports. We tried frame football and wheelchair football, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby.

“We tried lots of different things and although they were good — you could tell that Liam was enjoying them just for the social aspect — but the actual sport part wasn’t really capturing him.”

But then, just before Liam’s 14th birthday, he found his perfect fit — martial arts.

He trains with Aberdeen Martial Arts Group (Amag) and Aboyne Judo Group.

Retired offshore worker turned local businessman Steve said: “We were lucky to find two clubs with really great instructors and coaches. The jiu jitsu ones, Lee and Peter, have been fantastic.

“We’re very fortunate with both of these guys that they’re black belts in a number of martial arts.

“We tweak the moves so that it’s possible for Liam to do it from the floor because he’s down on the mat on his knees, because he can’t stand unaided.”

Liam joked: “I’m just trying to give the other guy a big aggressive hug, really.”

Although Steve and Lynne are no longer together and Liam now lives with his dad and Steve’s partner Katie, he still sees his mum regularly.

Brilliantly, jiu jitsu and judo have become a real father and son affair.

Steve, a complete newbie to the sport, is working his way through the grades at the same time as Liam.

He said: “I go down on the mat with Liam to do the majority of the training.

“We’re both yellow belts at judo and second stripe white belts at jiu jitsu. I just don’t enter the competitions.

“Basically, I’m the person that Liam practises on.”

What it means to Liam

Liam is obviously delighted to be bringing home medals in his new sport, and enjoys training too.

But taking up martial arts has also helped with bullying problems he was having at school.

Liam said: “When I started out, it was at a time in my life when I was getting bullied quite a lot at school.

“People would try to tip my wheelchair over and call me names.

“Martial arts gave me the confidence to — not go and lamp them in the head, but just confidence to advocate, to say no, that’s not right and get off me now.

“And that stopped. And I believe that confidence is because of martial arts.”

When he’s training and competing, Liam feels martial arts levels the playing field for him.

He said: “When I’m on the mat, it’s just equal. You’re not seen as the guy with CP.

“I roll with able-bodied people all the time and they just treat me normally.

“Nobody treats you like you’re made of glass, nobody treats you like a special case: you’re just one of the guys.”

‘I’m very proud of him’

Martial arts has unlocked a new part of Liam’s life that he loves.

But the Aboyne Academy pupil is also pretty busy with other things.

World Cerebral Palsy Day falls in October, and he gave a speech at school assembly last week.

He is also a member of the debating club.

He’s in S5 and taking Highers in English and Modern Studies and Nat 5 History.

He hopes to do something in the criminal justice system when he gets out into the real world.

Liam and Steve also go shooting at Line of Sight at Tarland when they can.

So far, he has won two silvers in jiu jitsu in Stoke-on-Trent and one silver in judo in Sheffield.

In November, the Aboyne teen is heading across to the Netherlands to compete in a European judo competition.

Regardless of the medals, Steve is hugely proud of Liam’s fighting spirit on and off the mat.

Steve said: “When we go to martial arts, I lift him out of the wheelchair down onto the mat and he can crawl and get up on his knees.

“That’s how he approaches a spar or a fight – he’s up on his knees and ready to go.

“I’m very proud of him. I love going to the competitions and I love training with him every week.”

But Liam is having none of it, interrupting to say: “Even though I kick your butt?”

Debating is clearly teaching him to have the last word.

[Source: Press and Journal]