With a strength, willingness to learn and determination to succeed, way ahead of his nineteen years of age, a Cadishead lad is and quite rightly should be, an inspiration to us all. Burt Rickman has had to contend with adversity for most of his young life, diagnosed with cerebral palsy in his early years, he has never let that get in the way, as he lives his life to the full and has crammed more into his teenage years then many of us would do in a lifetime… Since leaving high school he has set himself goals and targets as he gets on with his young life despite the obvious difficulties. The former Cadishead Primary and Culcheth High School student has just had his first book published and it is a fantastic read and a real ‘page turner’, something that Burt is quite rightly very proud to have completed. His first book ‘No Half Measures’ is an autobiography of his early life, “warts and all”, that includes being bullied at high school and struggling to deal with his condition. Always pragmatic Burt said: “My cerebral palsy is an obvious issue, but I don’t think I have it too bad and I know people that it has affected a lot worse. However, it does mean that I have to try three or four times harder to succeed at what I want to learn and do. High School was difficult, I was always quite small and with the added cerebral palsy was an easy target for ‘the bullies’. But since then, I have had a bit of a growth spurt and my confidence and self-belief in what I can achieve is what matters most.” Burt’s condition predominately affects his left side, his arm, leg, and finger dexterity, in particular. But that has not stopped him making the utmost of his undoubted talent. As well as being a published author, Burt is also learning to play the trumpet under expert tuition from Cadishead Brass Band, he was originally tutored by Paul Exton McGuiness funded with support from the Andrew Cooke Music Trust and since Paul has moved on to become a teacher is now being tutored by Dave Dee. He is also ten months into a training program to become a gymnastics coach at a local gymnastics Centre of Excellence. In 2024 he will hopefully be travelling in his capacity of coach with the GR8 Gymnastics Club based in Culcheth, as they compete in an international competition in Italy, subject to successful funding. With his younger sister May and several others from Salford travelling and competing as part of the local gymnastics team. He is also learning Karate at a well-respected dojo run by Sensei Mike Lynch in Cadishead and rides a 125cc motorbike, after being told in his younger years that he might never be able to ride even a bicycle. As well as having a full car licence and his own car, funded by working hard and putting in the hours at a Restaurant in Lymm. But his achievements have only come about through a massive amount of hard work and the will and personality to get things done, whatever the cards that Burt has been dealt. Burt added: “At primary school I wanted to learn to play the cello, but it was impossible as you need two hands to play the instrument. But now with the trumpet and the fantastic support from Dave Dee and Cadishead Band where I have been having regular lessons, my music ability is really coming on! I practice several times a week and hope to one day be good enough to play with the band.” “I am currently completing my motorcycle training that will enable me to get a full motorbike licence in the future. The Gymnastics coaching came about after watching my younger brother Joe and younger sister May at their Gymnastics Club and I just thought, I can do that and am now well on my way to achieving my gymnastics coaching qualification”. Looking to the future Burt is currently in his final year of a three-year course at Pendleton College in Salford after which he is hoping to get on a three-year University course at Salford University with a view to becoming a Physiotherapist, enabling him to help others. And who would bet against Burt succeeding, certainly not me! Burt added: “My book is called ‘No Half Measures’, because half of me doesn’t work as it should and it describes my mentality perfectly. I pour every ounce of my energy into what I do. I have written the book to share my battles I won and the few battles that I lost through navigating life with cerebral palsy. From bikes to bullies I have had quite the ride so far; I believe that the experiences I have lived through have made me the person that I am today. I can confidently say that I have mentally and physically triumphed my disability. There is a reason why the saying ‘mind over matter’ exists, if you want the possibility of discovering my mental model which has allowed cerebral palsy to live with me, then read the book!” Burt Rickman’s book ‘No Half measures’ is available from Amazon. Cerebral palsy is a group of conditions that affect movement and posture. It's caused by damage that occurs to the developing brain, most often before birth. Symptoms appear during infancy or pre-school years and vary from very mild to serious Children with cerebral palsy may have exaggerated reflexes. The arms, legs and trunk may appear floppy. Or they may have stiff muscles, known as spasticity. Symptoms also can include irregular posture, movements that can't be controlled, a walk that's not steady or some combination of these. The cause of cerebral palsy and its effect on function vary from person to person. Some people with cerebral palsy can walk while others need assistance. Some people have intellectual disabilities, but others do not. Epilepsy, blindness, or deafness also might affect some people with cerebral palsy. There is no cure, but treatments can help improve function. The symptoms of cerebral palsy may vary during the child's development, but the condition doesn't get worse. The condition generally stays the same over time.
