Record numbers turn out for Superhero Tri sports day

A superhero-themed sports day dedicated to people with disabilities has seen a record number of participants.

About 3,300 people took part in different sporting challenges at the Superhero Tri event near Windsor, Berkshire, on Saturday.

Adults and children with disabilities donned superhero outfits and swam and cycled at Dorney Lake.

Backed by Marvel, the event is in its eighth year.

Famous faces at the event included comedian and presenter Adam Hills and Paralympic equestrian gold medallist Sophie Christiansen.

They took part in the Celebrity Superhero Tri as captains, competing against some of those at the event.

Jenni and Steve went along with their 12-year-old daughter Eve, who has a rare chromosome condition called 3p25 deletion syndrome.

Jenni, from Dorking, Surrey, said their world had “collapsed” when they were given the diagnosis, which resulted in Eve being non-verbal and experiencing intellectual difficulties.

“We were told it was possibly unlikely Eve would walk and here we are today, about to walk a kilometre,” she said.

Clare Balding was covering the event at Dorney Lake for a highlights programme, which will air on Channel 4 in September.

She said: “I think everybody is empowered by both the Olympics just gone and the Paralympics coming up but this isn’t about elite sport – this is about participation.

“When you remove the barriers to people who have felt excluded from sport and you say, no, you can come, you can make this work, honestly, the outcome is beyond your wildest dreams.

“It’s such an impressive event.”