BEING diagnosed with ADHD has certainly not always made life easy for 17-year-old Aaron Sellick of Exeter.
In his mother Georgina Herbert’s words, he was “horrendously bullied” as a child and told that he would go nowhere.
However, Aaron has certainly proved sceptics wrong.
In addition to today being a popular student within Exeter College’s Foundation Studies faculty among staff and peers alike, he has just returned from Newport in Wales where, in an international speedway tournament against the Welsh Under-18s speedway cycle team, he and his seven teammates won for England.
As a boy, like so many others, Aaron was quite happy playing on his BMX until a trip to see Exeter Aces practising at their club in Marsh Barton one night would change his life.
Georgina recalls: “He was nine years old. They put him on the track and he never looked back.”
Since then, Aaron – who attends a Pre-Foundation course at the College – has risen through the ranks at the club within a team which has won the South West League for the last seven years in a row.
Georgina continues: “Aaron is one of the ones who crept through unnoticed, just plodding along until the year before last when he came third overall in the South West.
“Before he began speedway cycling, he was very inward-looking and was a loner. He lacked confidence because of the bullying, and would also become frustrated because he couldn’t express himself.
“Of course, when he gets on the track, nobody sees his disability; all they see is a person racing. He is accepted for who he is and is treated exactly the same as everybody else. He goes racing all around the country with his club and it is like one big family.”
Of Aaron, who lives in the family home with Georgina, her partner Simon Mortimer, and his three siblings – all of whom also race – Amy, aged 19, Charlie-Jane, aged 14, and ten-year-old Jack, his mother says she still remembers the moment she heard her son was picked for England.
“When I first got the phone call from the England manager to tell me Aaron had been selected, it certainly brought a tear to my eye,” she recalls.
“I thought about all that Aaron had been through and all those people who told him he wouldn’t succeed. He has certainly had the last laugh.
“On the day, his job as part of the English team of four was to stay in the third position in order to keep a Welsh team member at bay in fourth, and he did exactly what he was supposed to. England won with an 18-point victory over Wales and the whole family are very proud of him.”
Adding that she is grateful to Exeter College, who donated £80 towards travel expenses, she continues: “The support from the College was very much appreciated. Aaron was over the moon as it helped take him one step further towards his goal – to one day ride for England.”
Exeter College Pre-Foundation Team Leader Gemma Tozer adds: “We are delighted that Aaron has found an interest that he is so passionate about and has excelled in. This enthusiasm spills into the classroom too, and learners and staff very much enjoy hearing of his success. We are very proud of his achievements.”
Exeter Aces are based at Cofton Road, Marsh Barton, and practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. To find out more about joining, call 01404 43954.