HAVING required a kidney transplant at 12, it would have been very easy for Joshua Norris to let life get him down.

But seven years later, he is a returning to his home-town of Witney a champion having picked up three medals at the European Transplant Sport Championships.

The former Henry Box School pupil was born with a liver disease but last week overcame the odds to pick up gold, silver and bronze medals at the Helsinki event.

Now 19, Joshua, who lives in Deer Park, says he previously had little confidence in himself and is overwhelmed at his success.

He said: "I didn't really expect to come home with anything. It was unbelievable.

"I got to stand on the podium and hold up the Great Britain flag. My smile was beaming."

The teenager, who has just finished studying motorsport engineering at Banbury and Bicester Motorsport College, was awarded a gold medal in singles pétanque - a type of boules - a bronze in doubles pétanque, and a silver for darts.

He first got involved in the games after his youth worker at Oxford Young Adult Clinic, Daley Cross, encouraged him to take part.

On Wednesday he will be heading up to Liverpool to test his skills against 900 others for the British Transplant Games and also hopes to compete in Malaga next June for the world championships.

Joshua had to have one of this kidneys removed when he was just a baby. He received a transplant seven years ago following a donation from his mother Lindsey, 50, and now has to take 15 tablets a day to make sure his body does not reject the new organ.

He said: "The year I had the transplant, I don't remember much of it at all. I had 16 operations in one year. But I came through it. My mum did the unthinkable thing. It's like I've been given a second life."

Lindsey Norris, Joshua's mum, said although it was a tough procedure to undergo, she barely remembers she only has one kidney.

The pharmaceutical technician said: "It hasn't changed my life at all. It was my poor husband, Nic, I was most worried about.

"He had his son on one operating table and his wife on the other. It's a trying time for a family but it was for a very good reason."

She went on to say the whole family, including Joshua's 25-year-old brother Christian, were tremendously proud of his achievements.

She said: "Josh was such a good rugby player. But once he had the transplant he couldn't do contact sports anymore and that was very upsetting for him.

"He has such great spirit and he is so mature."

The athlete, who will be playing cricket - his favourite sport - in the British Transplant Games later this week, is hoping his tale will encourage more people to sign up to be organ donors.

Joshua added: "It's so important but it's also quite unknown. When I go walking down the street, no-one would ever know I'd had a kidney transplant.

"There is the possibility I'd even need a new kidney one day. I look after mine but for some people it can't be helped - the disease returns."

Visit organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more and sign up to be a donor.