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Ruby, teammate Nicole Moore and Belfast Galaxy head coach Denise Beagon fly to another competition

Ruby is her name but gold is her aim as she prepares to fly the flag for Northern Ireland at the British disability trampolining championships next weekend.

A ged 15, Ruby Deazley was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition called acromicric dysplasia, which is characterised by very short stature, short limbs and stiff joints.

There are very few acknowledged cases of the condition in the world and only a handful in the UK. The 4ft 4in teenager from north Belfast is the only person in Northern Ireland diagnosed with the condition.

The Belfast Galaxy Trampoline Club is Ruby’s antidote, an environment where she feels safe and secure, gets the support she needs and loves trampolining for a number of reasons under the supervision of head coach Denise Beagon.

Ruby, teammate Nicole Moore and Belfast Galaxy head coach Denise Beagon fly to another competition

One reason is the competition. Ruby has already won gold at the championships in 2018 and 2019 and is hoping to make the podium again next Saturday.

The Utilita Arena Birmingham is the venue for the Jaffa Trampolining, Tumbling & DMT British Championships, with Ruby competing in the disability section.

Ruby revealed her hopes for the championships in Birmingham while opening up about how her condition affects her.

“It’s hard to be different to everyone else your own age, and sometimes I get looks from people because I am small,” said the Dominican College student.

“But my friends and family are very supportive of me. People can react to you, but you get used to it after a while.

“I love trampolining because it’s really good fun and because of the camaraderie with my teammates. I won the gold medal in the British Championships’ disability section in 2018 and 2019, then I went to the Spring Cup in Telford in May and won the bronze medal.

“There is no judgement in the disability section, because we each have different challenges. I’m hoping for a medal next week, but if I don’t win one, that’s still OK.”

“Ruby was diagnosed with acromicric dysplasia when she was six,” explained Ruby’s mum, Elaine.

“It is a rare disorder... There are only 35 cases worldwide. Nobody knows if it is degenerative or not. There is a woman in France with it and she is in her sixties.

“It affects her bones and her hands, and she has had surgery on her hands to help. But she is a feisty wee thing. She wants to keep fit and she wants to compete — and trampolining offers both.

“She absolutely loves it. There is such a good team at Galaxy and Denise has been amazing with her — there is such a bond there.

“People often stare at her because she is short... She is a teenager now so she can get quite down sometimes. And she’s also very humble: she will be competitive and will want to be the best, but she won’t want a fuss made if she does come first.”

When Ruby started out, she was the only competitor in her disability section, so she set about beating her own scores. Stepping up to British level, she is coming up against competitors with different disabilities, including autism and multiple sclerosis.

“When we see Ruby at our club, we don’t see a trampolinist with a disability, we just see Ruby,” said Denise.

“It can be upsetting when people stare at her, so she really enjoys coming to the club.

“I am a special needs teacher, but every child has special needs; I just do what I have been taught. But it was an eye-opener for me seeing the reactions Ruby gets sometimes.

“However, she has a fabulous spirit and we’re really looking forward to the championships in Birmingham, where Ruby can express herself freely.”

Ruby takes part in the Jaffa Trampoline, Tumbling & DMT British Championships at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on October 1 at 2pm

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