A NINE-YEAR-OLD with dreams of becoming a paralympian has been given a helping hand.

Charlie McIntyre, from Westcliff, has a brand new wheelchair to help his progress in wheelchair basketball.

The gift, by national charity WheelPower, was made possible as part of a £114,000 fund raised by Canary Wharf Contractors, the builders of London skyscraper 20 Fenchurch Street, known as the Walkie Talkie.

Charlie said thank you in front of 400 workers at a celebration event for the completed building on the 35th floor.

The Essex Outlaws player’s custom-made wheelchair is built for speed and has a sharp turn to help him reach his potential.

Charlie is certainly not shy of aiming high in sport.

Before being diagnosed with an illness affecting his hip, he was training with Chelsea Football Club’s junior academy.

His father, Danny McIntyre, said: “Charlie has always been a sporty, competitive boy and when we found out he had Perthes Disease it was so sad to see him have to leave the sports he loved behind. His new basketball wheelchair has been like a dream come true.

It has helped him improve on his game and his confidence has soared.”

Danny has decided to enter a sporting challenge of his own. In April next year, he will run the London Marathon, hoping to raise £2,000 for WheelPower to help more people like Charlie.

He said: “I wanted to repay them in some way for the pleasure they have helped Charlie regain.”

Martin McElhatton, chief executive of WheelPower, said “We are delighted to award young Charlie with his very own sports wheelchair to play basketball.”