Jonathan Gale

"My advice to athletes just starting out would be to enjoy yourself and, whatever you do, try to do it to the best of your ability – take your time to get to know your chosen sport, and give yourself a chance to learn it properly.

"I would like to see more countries developing and entering disability teams into an international competition like the Inas World Cup, and I would also like to see cricket included in the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Sport: Cricket

Represents: England and Wales LD Team

Date of Birth: 21 Jul 1994

Based: Dorking, Surrey

Personal Best: 153 runs for Surrey CCC disability team

Biography:
Jonny is an opening batsmen for the England Learning Disabilities cricket team. He also captains Surrey County Cricket Club’s disability team for players with learning and/or physical disability.

Jonny made his England debut in 2011 in South Africa where he helped England to win a Tri-Nation Series against Australia and South Africa. In the same year he won the Lord’s Taverners’ first “Five-fer” award for fast bowlers.

More success has followed and in 2015 he played every match in the INAS Cricket Series in Melbourne where England beat Australia 5-1. Last year also saw Jonny beat his personal best of 123 in a match against Middlesex Disability Cricket with a captain’s knock of 153.

As an Athlete Ambassador for the UK Sports Association’s My Sport, My Voice! project, Jonny is raising awareness about learning disability and demonstrating that people with learning disability can achieve their goals in life, just like anyone else. Whilst also being an ambassador for ourselves, Jonny is now also an ambassador for the Lord’s Taverner’s, LTDC since 2014.

When not playing cricket for club and country, Jonny studies at North East Surrey College of Technology.