Bruce’s almighty medal haul

Bruce Dee

Bruce Dee, who has dwarfism, competed in the 7th World Dwarf Games in Ontario Canada last month and won four of his golds in individual swimming events, the badminton doubles and one in the team football, in which Great Britain beat USA 3-0 in the final.

What’s more, the Stamford Junior School pupil, who lives with parents and brother and sister in Desborough, bagged golds in the doubles badminton and team Boccia and football.

If that wasn’t enough, he secured a bronze in the swimming freestyle relay, silver in the boccia singles and a bronze in team basketball

Bruce’s proud mum, Maureen said: “We had no idea how good he was.

“When he went to Canada I did not expect him to come home with a medal, and the very first day he got two medals, he got the very first medals of the game in the boccia. He just turned around and see ‘see mum, I have got a medal’.

“He was really nervous before the event but now if anyone asks him about it, he is very laid back about it.”

Bruce won gold in the 25 metre freestyle, the 25 and 50 metre butterfly plus the 100 metre medley.

The youngster is a keen swimmer and is a member of Northampton Swimming Club.

Bruce’s achievement in the 50m butterfly is even more remarkable as he had to compete against boys up to 14 years old.

Helping steer Bruce to success was Great Britain swimming team coach and successful paralympic swimmer, Ellie Simmonds.

Although he had never competed in the World Dwarf Games before Canada, he regularly competes at the National Dwarf Games in Birmingham where he has picked up scores of medals.

He will next be in action at the Para-Swimming Championships in Manchester in December.

Bruce is determined to be to be a successful paralympian and is eyeing up competing in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

And his family said they will be ensuring he reaches his goal.

Maureen said: “We have come away thinking we are going to do everything we can to support him and make that dream come true.”

Bruce isn’t the only youngster from the area to do well at the games. Joshua Waring from Bourne also bagged seven gold medals.