From Contact Cymru sports day to Genuine Cup champion!
2 mins read
Wednesday 26 August 2026
A young disabled man who progressed from attending our Better Together Through Sports events in Wales to joining Wrexham AFC’s pan-disability team has capped his ascent with an international tournament win in the USA.
22-year-old Cai’s journey began when he joined several of our disability sports events, organised by our team in Wales. Cai joined other disabled children and young people at an event we ran in partnership with Wrexham AFC and its pan-disability team, the Ability Dragons. It was this partnership that encouraged Cai’s mum to connect the EFL Championship club with his special residential college, Derwen. Soon, Cai found himself in the Ability Dragons team.
Sadly in 2025 Cai suffered a stroke and attended some of our Better Together Through Sport events while in recovery. So it is even more remarkable that this summer he travelled with the Ability Dragons to Houston, Texas, to take part in the Genuine Cup. The tournament for learning disabled and autistic players welcomes 50 teams from 50 nations. Representing Wales, the Ability Dragons were crowned joint-champions alongside Egypt of the Rice University League.
Cai’s family’s connection with Contact Cymru goes back even further. Our Wales Manager Kate has known Cai’s mum Marie since he was two years old! Kate and her team provided Marie with expert advice on the Wales education system when trying to secure a place at Derwen. Cai this year completed his second year at Derwen and truly enjoyed his prom night.
For Marie, it was at Contact’s Better Together Through Sports events where “I didn’t see him struggle to fit in. There was a choice of different sports, and Cai enjoyed trying them all. But football was always his favourite. The sessions provided us parents the chance to really find out which sports were suitable for our children. The sessions [Cai joined] also provided an opportunity for conversations, which have then led to something much bigger and his dream to play for Wrexham has been achieved”.
Huge congratulations to Cai and the Ability Dragons!