A ‘SUPERHERO’ girl backed by a Paralympic track and field athlete will take to Llyn Tegid in Bala next week in preparation for solo and team triathlon events in a special challenge.

Elan Williams, from Cynwyd, near Corwen, will take part in next month’s Celebrity Superhero Triathlon, competing alongside Paralympic gold medal skier Menna Fitzpatrick.

It is part of the Superhero Series, a mass-participation sports series dedicated to the UK’s 13.3 million people with disabilities and long-term injuries.

The series is organised by Sophia Warner, Paralympic track and field athlete with cerebral palsy, who won medals at the World Para Athletics Championships and later became commercial director of UK Athletics.

Eight-year-old Elan, who represented North Wales in the UK Riding for the Disabled Nationals in Gloucestershire last weekend, has previously competed in the Denbigh TriStars Junior Triathlon and the Ruthin TriStars Junior Triathlon earlier this summer

The youngster will now will take to Llyn Tegid in Bala on a kayak, alongside TriStar coach Alex Holt, in preparation for the water stage of her solo event.

Elan has also been designated the push/run stage of the team triathlon, alongside Ms Fitzpatrick, in which she will use a specially adapted wheelchair, the Hase Trix trike, purchased thanks to a community fundraising effort last year.

Sophia Warner, Superhero Series founder and Paralympic track and field athlete silver medalist, said: “This year’s event plans to be bigger and better with more celebrities Team Captains from sport, entertainment and the military competing alongside Everyday Superheroes.“It is people like Elan that this series is for; the competition is for everyday superheroes and Elan embodies that.”

“The competition gives Elan the opportunity to be involved in a mass participation event when she is not necessarily be able to otherwise.”

“We follow Elan’s progress on social media which is a joy to see; when she performs she shines.

“There is so much that Elan can give back to sport.”

The Superhero Series is the UK’s only disability sports series that encourages people of all disabilities to get involved, whether it be through the use of flippers or floats in water or power wheelchair across land.

The 50 entrants selected for this year’s competition series are those who are judged to have shared their ‘everyday superpowers’ by inspiring the people around them.

Elan’s mother, Ceris, said: “We’re so proud of Elan, she has achieved so much.”

“She has such a positive outlook on life, wanting to get involved in anything that she can.”

“When Elan first saw Menna perform she said, ‘I want to go skiing!’ It’s tough trying to keep up with her.

“She is always confident.

“Elan has so much admiration for the Paralympic athletes and she has met Sophia a number of times, who has been a huge inspiration.”

To find out more about the Superhero Series or to register, visit www.superheroseries.co.uk