Tom Roach of Kew continues to defy expectations

Doctors didn’t hold much hope tiny Tom Roach would live when he was born premature at 29 weeks gestation. But 11 years on, the Kew boy has made incredible progress, and is now training for a state athletics title.

Tom Roach during training with coach Niki Johansen. Photo Luis Enrique Ascui

When Tom Roach was born premature at 29 weeks gestation, the doctors told his parents his odds of survival were slim.

But just over a decade later at the age of 11, the Kew youngster is preparing to represent the state at the School Sport Australia track and field championship on September 18 in Darwin, showing the doctors he didn’t just survive, he thrived.

Andrew Roach, his dad, said he and his wife Jennifer Williams were blown away by their son’s progress, despite battling cerebral palsy following his difficult birth.

He said Tom didn’t let his cerebral palsy hold him back from anything, including his goal to walk to school unassisted on his first day of prep at Kew Primary School five years ago.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we think this was going to happen. We were told he would be in a walker and never be able to walk on his own. This little man, through a lot of hard work, is now running across the sport oval,” he said.

“He’s very determined, very goal driven … when he walked through the front gate on his first day (of school) I cried.”

Tom Roach at age five with his old walker at Kew Primary School. Picture: Paul Loughnan

And while Tom says his condition makes training tough sometimes, he said when he needed inspiration he liked to draw from one of his favourite movie characters, Dory, from Finding Nemo.

“I just think I can do it,” Tom said. “The same as Dory, just keep swimming, but I think, ‘just keep going’.”

And while he said he hopes to win awards in the medley relay, shot put and his favourite event, discus, he said the main thing he wanted to do was try his hardest.

Nicole Johansen of Kew Little Athletics said she’d coached Tom for the past year and his hard work and progress were an “inspiration”.

Sport was a great way to build strength and co-ordination for children with cerebral palsy, she said, and it also provided a great opportunity for children to interact, which was perfect for Tom who she said was a social butterfly.

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“Throwing is quite a technical event, so trying to keep it simple to get Tom started and then we can build over the next few years. We have to work within Tom’s range of movement,” she said.

“Both Tom and I are still learning, developing and modifying his technique to fit with his abilities. We are still playing around with what he can do, and what he may not be able to do just yet.”

As for future goals, Tom said the sky is the limit.

He said he’d like to one day represent the country at the Olympics, and when his professional sport career was over he’d like to work as a mechanical engineer specialising in roller coasters.