Kevin Simpson (30), will compete for Great Britain in the wheelchair tennis competition at the Games.

He is one of only two Scots in the eight-strong tennis team travelling to the Far East to compete in the multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities, opening on September 6.

Kevin, who now lives in Linlithgow, said he was "over the moon" to be
chosen to represent Great Britain at the Games.

Six years ago, Kevin was told he would never walk again after suffering a tragic accident on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

He was working as a roughneck on a rig when a large piece of metal fell from 90 feet onto him.

He suffered a broken back, broken ribs, punctured lung, ruptured spleen, two broken legs and ankles as well as other injuries.

He spent three months in hospital in America before being flown home on a stretcher to Scotland to face a further seven months in the Spinal Unit at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital.

At the time he was told he would never walk again,but the fact that his spinal cord was not severed, although nerves were cut, gave him hope that one day he might walk.

His recovery was a long process with daily physiotherapy and through wearing callipers he got back on his feet after three years.

Amazingly, his rehabilitation has progressed to the stage that Kevin has now gained full sensation in his right leg and can walk round his home unaided and short distances aided with an elbow crutch.

It was during his rehab that Kevin was introduced to the sport of wheelchair tennis.

Playing once a week at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow, he eventually decided to take up the sport.

By 2004, just two years after the accident, Kevin was taking part in UK and International wheelchair tennis tournaments.

He has since competed in in Canada, Italy, South Africa and Japan.

Earlier this year he qualified for the GB team for the Paralympics after reaching the last 16 of the Japan Open, one of top four
tournaments in the world.

This pushed his world ranking to 45 and gave him automatic qualification for the games.

Training five days a week at Scotstoun and Stirling University, Kevin said of his selection: "It is unbelievable, all the hard work has really paid off.

''I have competed at wheelchair tennis since 2004 and I thought I had blown it for this year's Paralympics but did enough in Japan to qualify."

He added: "The main thing I hope to achieve by going to Beijing is to play quality tennis and gain from the experience.

''I have worked hard to achieve this and I plan to enjoy the occasion.
''It will be a proud moment for me and my family who will be there to support me."

Looking to the future, Kevin said: "My aim is to compete at the London Paralympics in 2012 where I hope I would be a medal contender."

*Wheelchair tennis is the same as the able bodied but the ball is allowed to bounce twice.

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