
'Don't let epilepsy stop your ambitions', says Camberley man
A former professional ice hockey player who lives with epilepsy says young people with the condition should never give up on their ambitions.Adam Franks, from Camberley in Surrey, dreamed of becoming a sportsman but said he thought his plans were destroyed when he was diagnosed at the age of 11.But after years of determination and treatment, Adam was invited to train with the first team at the Guildford Flames and was eventually chosen to play for them professionally.To mark Purple Day on Wednesday - the international epilepsy awareness day - Adam said that epilepsy did not need to stand in the way of a successful career.
"When I was diagnosed it was difficult to process," he said."One minute you're a normal kid then the next day your world has changed completely."Adam, now 43, explained that when he was diagnosed with epilepsy, his school didn't know how to support him."If I had one [a seizure] at school then the teachers left me in a room by myself until my parents got there," he said."It's hard to know what to do without panicking, but the main thing to remember is the three Cs - calm, cushion and call for help."The Epilepsy Society recommends anyone who sees someone having a seizure should stay calm, cushion the person's head with something soft, and call for help.Adam, who played two seasons for Guildford Flames and now runs a clothing brand, is joining thousands of others with epilepsy to spread the message of the three Cs on Purple Day.

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South Wales Guardian
9 hours ago
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Beckett can see merit in coming back in trip with Stanhope Gardens
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18 hours ago
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Beckett can see merit in coming back in trip with Stanhope Gardens
The Kimpton Down trainer feels the lightly-raced Ghaiyyath colt just ran out of stamina close home, having made up plenty of ground after the descent from Tattenham Corner. Beckett said: 'Dropping him in trip would be the obvious thing, but what muddies the water is that he had such a bad prep. 'I don't want to make excuses, he ran his race, but he was off the last week of April, the first week of May and then we had another problem the week before the Derby as well so he only just made it. 'From that draw (15), sectionals say he ran a fast three-to-two and two-to-one so all of that is really encouraging. 'The obvious thing is to run him over 10 furlongs because if he doesn't get home over 12 next time then I'm in a hole. Although he's by Ghaiyyath the mare (Pure Art), whatever they breed her to they never get more than 10 furlongs, so I think that is where we'll end up – but it is to be debated. 'There's the Eugene-Adam at Saint-Cloud against three-year-olds, but we'll see where we are in a couple of weeks.' Beckett also fielded Dante winner Pride Of Arras, who went off second-favourite but only beat one home. 'He was very disappointing. He was a little bit keen up the hill and came down the hill like an ostrich on ice,' Beckett told Racing TV. 'He's come out of it well and we'll go again. I'd be keen to go to the Irish Derby, as I think that will suit him.' Last year's Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me, bought by Amo Racing for 4,800,000 guineas, was another disappointment in the Coronation Cup and her future appears to be on temporary hold. 'I'm not sure about her, the way she's come out of the race, which is well, I'm not sure about anything with her at the moment, I'll have to do a bit more digging,' said Beckett.

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18 hours ago
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Beckett can see merit in coming back in trip with Stanhope Gardens
The Kimpton Down trainer feels the lightly-raced Ghaiyyath colt just ran out of stamina close home, having made up plenty of ground after the descent from Tattenham Corner. Beckett said: 'Dropping him in trip would be the obvious thing, but what muddies the water is that he had such a bad prep. 'I don't want to make excuses, he ran his race, but he was off the last week of April, the first week of May and then we had another problem the week before the Derby as well so he only just made it. 'From that draw (15), sectionals say he ran a fast three-to-two and two-to-one so all of that is really encouraging. 'The obvious thing is to run him over 10 furlongs because if he doesn't get home over 12 next time then I'm in a hole. Although he's by Ghaiyyath the mare (Pure Art), whatever they breed her to they never get more than 10 furlongs, so I think that is where we'll end up – but it is to be debated. 'There's the Eugene-Adam at Saint-Cloud against three-year-olds, but we'll see where we are in a couple of weeks.' Beckett also fielded Dante winner Pride Of Arras, who went off second-favourite but only beat one home. 'He was very disappointing. He was a little bit keen up the hill and came down the hill like an ostrich on ice,' Beckett told Racing TV. 'He's come out of it well and we'll go again. I'd be keen to go to the Irish Derby, as I think that will suit him.' Last year's Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me, bought by Amo Racing for 4,800,000 guineas, was another disappointment in the Coronation Cup and her future appears to be on temporary hold. 'I'm not sure about her, the way she's come out of the race, which is well, I'm not sure about anything with her at the moment, I'll have to do a bit more digging,' said Beckett.