Our Patron - Leon Taylor
Leon is 39 years old and lives in Chaddesden, Derby. He is married to Victoria and has three young children, Molly, Megan & Michael.
Leon was a Goalkeeper with the England Cerebral Palsy Football Team from 2003-2011 and competed in international tournaments across Europe and the rest of the world including:
- Cerebral Palsy World Cup - Argentina.
- Cerebral Palsy World Championships - USA.
- Arafura Games - Australia.
The highlight of Leon’s sporting career was being selected as a member of the Great Britain team which competed at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008 - indeed he was Derby’s only representative at the Games. Leon won the Derby City Disabled Sports Person of the Year Award in 2008 & 2009 and the Sports Person of the Year Award in 2011.
More recently Leon was the First Olympic Torchbearer of the Day as the flame left his home City of Derby in June 2012. Leon is also a Trustee of Derby County in the Community - focusing on Disability Football provision across Derbyshire. He is a Player representative on the National Cerebral Palsy League Committee and a Player/Mentor for the East Midlands Cerebral Palsy Elite Football Squad.
Leon recently became a Sporting Ambassador for the charity Cerebral Palsy Sport, the country’s leading national disability sports organisation supporting people with cerebral palsy to achieve their sporting potential. He is also a Sporting Patron for the Derby City School Sports Partnership.
Away from Sport Leon is a Fundraiser for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) a charity which seeks to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death & Sudden Death Syndrome in young people. He is also the Patron of Hemi Hearts, a support group for children and families living with hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy.
Leon is the Vice Chair of Governors at a city primary school and was recently asked to become the Chancellor of Derby’s Children’s University.
Leon has worked for Derby Homes, an arms length management organisation of Derby City Council since 2003. He has a degree in politics and a keen interest in current affairs. Leon has a love of music, citing the Pet Shop Boys as his favourite act.
Leon can talk passionately about overcoming the challenge of being born with a disability - Cerebral Palsy which predominantly affects the right side of his body, to achieve his life's ambitions and the rocky road in between!!
Leon Taylor (Patron)
Leon Taylor was a goalkeeper with the England Cerebral Palsy Football Team from 2003-2011 and competed in international tournaments across Europe and the rest of the world ...
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