An archer who was given a 10% chance of survival as a toddler is now on the brink of achieving his Paralympic dream.

Cameron Radigan, from Ayr, was two years old when he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left calf muscle.

The tumour was successfully removed during an experimental procedure, however, Cameron became increasingly reliant on using a wheelchair during his childhood as his leg continued to deteriorate.

This was very tough for a sporty child who loved football and kickboxing, excelling in the latter by competing and securing a national-level silver medal.

Despite these setbacks, Cameron was still able to pursue his passion for archery.

The 21-year-old said: "Sport is what drives me, it's where I can be myself, it's my escape from everyday life.

"It’s where I feel equal to everyone else, whereas in day-to-day life, I can feel excluded."

Cameron's feeling of exclusion was most acute during his time at school, where disability provision was extremely limited.

He said: "There were times when I couldn't get in and out of my classrooms with a wheelchair.

"I didn't do any sport at secondary school, because they didn’t have a sporting programme for kids who were wheelchair-bound.

"I had to sit and watch or go to the library and do something else. Being young and having a disability can be tough.

"I developed a small group of close friends who knew everything to do with my condition, and they’ve been there for me for years."

Cameron decided to have his leg amputated in 2018. 

Then, 11 days later, he competed at the British National Championships in Scotland.

Cameron said: "I had to convince my surgeon and a consultant that I could shoot about a week after having my surgery.

"I wanted to do stuff that I shouldn’t have been able to do with my condition. 

"I wanted to hop on one leg, I wanted to be able to ride a bike, and the doctors understood why I wanted to shoot that day."

Cameron is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing him to train full time, have access to the world's best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support.  

Having won the British Disability Championships title back-to-back in 2019 and 2021, Cameron was invited onto the GB programme.

He made his international debut at the 2022 World Para Archery Championships in Dubai, winning silver with team-mate David Phillips in the new doubles team event.

It was Cameron's first time leaving the country and being on an aeroplane.

"Nobody knew who I was but I always felt included," he said.

"There wasn’t the level of pressure I thought there would be. I enjoyed the World Championships, and it just helped me get settled."

He finished fourth at last year's European Championships to fuel hope of making his Paralympic debut this summer.

"It's always been my goal to go to the Paralympics. Quite early on I got into that mindset of wanting to be a Paralympic archer."