Eight-year-old Daisy Stefano picked up the Woodland Group Outstanding Achievement Award for East London – in recognition of her determination and progress as well as her commitment to encouraging other Panathlon participants.
Daisy, of Five Elms Primary School, has been taking part in Panathlon events for four years now. As well as being moderately deaf and wearing hearing aids during waking hours, she has scoliosis and was due to have an operation to insert spinal rods – but that was delayed due to the pandemic, finally happening in September 2022, and she now has to wear an upper body cast for 23 hours of the day. She has operations to lengthen the spinal rods every six months, meaning she misses school when she is recovering from surgery.
During the pandemic, she also started living with her Special Guardian, a big change for her.
But Daisy has continued to have ballet and swimming lessons during her recovery – with all the adults involved from school, hospital and home discussing how to ensure she is safe as well as active. That has also meant Daisy having to understand and accept that she has to take extra care in her usual activities.
But it hasn’t made any difference to either her enthusiasm or the encouragement she offers to others.
“Daisy has always shown resilience and tries her absolute best to just continue with her everyday activities,” say her school, who nominated her for the award.
Panathlon’s Chief Operating Officer Tony Waymouth congratulated Daisy, saying: “Year after year, the Woodland Group East London Outstanding Achievement awards recognise children who have come through adverse circumstances and are flourishing through their sporting endeavours.
“Daisy is a great example of that and we are delighted that she has been celebrated in this way.”
