Isabelle Weall

Isabelle fell victim to meningitis when she was seven. She was rushed to hospital, and her mum and dad were warned she might not survive.

Mum Catherine said: “It was so quick. She went to school that day and she got sent home ill at 11am.

"We called an ambulance at 8.30pm and she was taken to Derby Hospital.

“She was then transferred to Nottingham Hospital, and her heart actually stopped in the ambulance.

"She had total organ failure and we were told she would die.”

Isabelle fought back but surgeons had to amputate both her arms and legs, and she spent two months in hospital recovering.

She had to rely on a wheelchair for the next eight months before she was fitted with prosthetics, and faced a struggle simply to learn to walk again.

Catherine said:“We were sure she would never walk, but she was so determined.

"When she was given her legs she got straight up and started walking right away.”

Eight years on, Isabelle, 14, is a happy and confident teenager, who is also well on her way to becoming one of the UK’s most accomplished junior gymnasts.

Now widely recognised as one of the most talented young trampolinists in the country, she is doing all she can to inspire others – on and off the springs.

She had barely stepped on a trampoline before meningitis struck.

Now she’s a national champion and an internet sensation as budding gymnasts marvel at her ability.

She won the disability category at the national schools championships with a spellbinding routine that left those watching, both in the arena and at home on social media, in no doubt about her talent or determination.

It’s not just in the gym, though, that Isabelle is having an impact – she is also providing inspiration to all those people who follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

She has recently launched her own YouTube channel in a bid to convey her inspirational message to millions of young people who face challenges in their own lives.

"You should always give something you want to do a go,” says the Derby-based teenager. “You can’t just sit down and think ‘what if I can, what if I can’t’. You have to try it out."

Isabelle is such a determined young woman, and her spirit and positivity really shine through. She is absolutely inspirational.Pride of Sport judges

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