Special Olympics Camden athlete Olly Beadle started his journey in tennis with a simple knock-about at the local club in Upminster where his brother trained. Now, he’s travelled the world, played at two Grand Slam venues, and is currently ranked world No. 2 in men’s singles Learning Disability tennis by Virtus.
“I never planned to play tennis seriously,” Olly says. “But it’s taken me from East London to Los Angeles, Melbourne, Kazakhstan, and even Wimbledon.”
Having been diagnosed with dyspraxia as an infant and autism in his early teens, Olly’s talents in tennis were spotted by a coach at a tennis camp in Wrexham.
It was recommended that he have one-to-one lessons and start playing in tournaments on the LTA learning disability pathway. Here he was introduced to Special Olympics GB and was soon invited to represent the Eastern Region at the National Summer Games in Bath in 2013, aged just 14-years-old.
“I won gold in the singles and mixed doubles. It gave me so much confidence. I made friends and realised that I wanted more of these experiences.”
That drive led Olly to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, where he won two more gold medals and experienced the global stage for the first time. “Playing at the UCLA tennis centre, and being interviewed on television, I had to pinch myself. But once I was on court, I focused and gave it everything.
Representing Team SOGB was incredible and so much fun – the team spirit, the competition, the training. I was determined to improve and started training more seriously.
His career went from strength to strength, joining the LTA national squad and representing Great Britain at the 2019 Virtus Global Games in Brisbane, finishing fourth in singles and earning silver in the team event.
However, the covid pandemic hit hard. “I lost fitness, even my serve, and missed competing,” said Olly. It felt like starting over.” But he came back stronger, earning a place at the inaugural Australian Open in 2023 Intellectual Disability Championships, and later winning the inaugural LTA Play your way to Wimbledon tournament.
“Playing at Wimbledon was a dream. I’d never played on grass before and we had a last minute scare when I realised that I needed specialist shoes to play on it. However, the surface suited me as I won!”
In June 2024, Olly played at Queen’s Club, sharing the players’ lounge with ATP stars. He also played in the Play your way to Wimbledon tournament and finished 2024 by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the LTA Learning Disability National Finals at the Bolton Arena.
Most recently, he brought home three silver medals from the Virtus International Tournament in Kazakhstan, helping GB secure an all-British singles and doubles final. Last month he also won his home LTA learning regional disability tournament, played at Redbridge Tennis Club in his native Essex.
“Tennis has given me lifelong friends around the world, incredible memories and purpose. I love it.”
Moving forwards, Olly is very ambitious on and off the court. He would love to win an international singles tournament and reach number one in the Virtus World rankings.
Off it, he’s excited to starting his career, after studying hard at college. Soon he will start work as a Customer Service Assistant with a train operating company.
To anyone with a dream - keep pushing, keep believing and don’t let your learning difference stop you from achieving your goals. My journey shows that with determination, hard work and belief in yourself, anything is possible.