A YOUNG Welsh Paralympian is being given a helping hand in his quest for gold by Ford's Bridgend engine plant.
Nathan Stephens, aged 17, from Pyle, has been given a Ford Focus estate to help with his training for this year's Paralympic Games and the Commonwealth Games, as well as other European and British championships.
His father, Barrie, has been an electrician at the Bridgend engine plant for 16 years. When plant manager Bob Murphy became aware how Nathan was struggling to get to training and competitions, he was keen to help.
Bob said: "Nathan is an outstanding Olympian - an inspiration to everyone who meets him and I don't think we could have found a more deserving person to support."
Nathan, who lost his right leg and part of his left in a train accident when he was nine, competes in summer and winter sports at the highest level, covering about 500 miles a week.
He is a member of Britain's Paralympic Games sledge hockey team competing in Turin, Italy, from Friday. The determined teenager has also swum for Wales, been a British javelin, discus and shot champion and won wheelchair race medals.
He has passed his driving test but most of the journeys are done with his father and mother, who are British team officials. The Ford Bridgend plant has used its engineering resources to maintain team equipment with further voluntary help from employees in the tool room.
Says Nathan: "With all the travelling we have to do a reliable and roomy car is a necessity and I am so grateful that Ford Bridgend has come to our help.
"Having the Ford Focus estate on loan and the support of the plant removes some worries and lets us concentrate on training and going for gold."
Ford's Bridgend plant employs around 1,600 people who produce over 600,000 petrol engines a year for Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover - all Ford Motor Company brands.