Newark pool player raising funds to reach world championships
A pool player who overcame a tumour in his spine has been selected to be part of the English national team and is raising money to help him reach the World Championships.
Ben Norfolk, 34, hopes to raise enough money to get him and his wheelchair to the Pool World Championships, which take place in Ireland and France later this year.
A member of Newark Cue Club, he joined the pool wheelchair tour at the start of the year, playing his first event only in February.
He was selected for the England team after playing in two qualifiers.
"I'm not the greatest player compared to some of the other guys, but they wanted me. I think I must have had the right attitude, I was willing to learn," said Ben.
"Keith (Warren) owner of the Newark Cue Club, was brilliant, he helped me to build my confidence and realise that I am worth something — to the point where at the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to make a name for myself and join the wheelchair pool tour.
"Coming down here, everyone was so welcoming, everybody's really friendly and the standard of player down here has improved my game."
Ben was diagnosed with a tumour in his spine at the age of 12 and underwent a biopsy on his 13th birthday.
He spent time in Great Ormond Street Hospital where he had radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy.
"The chemotherapy put me into a wheelchair but I slowly managed to get back, regain my strength to continue walking with the aid of crutches," he said.
"But the last seven to nine years my legs began to deteriorate again and had to start using a wheelchair again for long distances and at the beginning of this year decided to embrace my wheelchair for every day use."
Ben has played pool for several years, playing with a team in Essex before moving to Newark in 2017 and joining the Cue Club.
After deciding to look into playing pool in a wheelchair and the at the beginning of this year Ben discovered that he qualified for a wheelchair tour that had started in the area.
Now he is a part of the national team, he needs to raise money to get to the World Championship events in Ireland and France.
"We have to fund it ourselves — from the entry, the accommodation, the travel, everything we have to fund — and obviously it's quite expensive to get to France so I'm looking for sponsorships, local businesses would be great. I'd like to put Newark back on the map." he said.
"I want to prove to people in the same or similar position to me that just because you're different in any way, you can still achieve your goals."
"Just go for it, believe in yourself. There will always be doubters but at the same time there will be so many people there to motivate you and help you too.
"My main inspiration is my boys, Xander and David. I want to show them that anything is possible and that they can achieve their dreams with a positive attitude."
Ben plans to hold a series of events at the Cue Club in the coming weeks and months such as competitions, tournaments and fundraising events.
He has also set up a GoFundMe page where he hopes to raise at least £2,000, hopefully by the end of the month, where anyone can donate and help him on his journey.
You can donate to Ben's fundraising page here: GoFundMe
The World Championship events take place in France from October 8-15 with the Black Ball championship and in Ireland between October 24-28 for the World Rules championships.
