A 33-YEAR-OLD who lost his leg through cancer at the age of 19 is eager to compete alongside other hopefuls in the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Power lifter Daniel Patterson has until January to make it towards the top of his sport and qualify for the London event, set to be watched by million nationally next year.

He trains three to four times a week at Bodytone Gym in Langford Road, Weston and also travels regularly to the Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Buckinghamshire, the national centre for disability sport.

Daniel, of Milton Road in Weston, has a prosthetic left leg, but has not let life’s obstacles get in the way of his sporting dream.

He said: “When I was 21 I saw an advert for weightlifting and thought ‘that could be a sport I could do’ and it went from there.

“It gave me a great boost and then four years ago I took up power lifting.

“Now all I eat most days is fish and pasta and I think I’m only about 20kg off the mark for the weight I need to lift.

“I’d really like to be able to get into the Paralympics as it would be great to show that the ordinary guy can do something like that.

“But I need to get some sponsorship to do that.”

Daniel, who works in Waitrose ,is part of the British Weightlifting Association For The Disabled and is already the national champion of his class.

He added: “I keep a keen eye on the world rankings but I think I’m nearly there.”

The Paralympic Games is a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete.