Flesh-eating disease could not stop Bowen's dream

Flesh-eating disease could not stop Bowen's dreamImage source, Welsh AthleticsImage caption, Ellie Bowen is the youngest member of Wales' athletics squad at Glasgow ByAndrew RichardsBBC Sport WalesPublished2 minutes agoCommentsEllie Bowen was just 13 months old when her life changed for ever. She was diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a rare but severe bacterial infection that destroys tissue beneath the skin.Her parents feared the worst, that they may even lose their baby girl, and while she survived, her right leg was amputated.Now 17, Ellie has known no difference and, as the youngest member of the Welsh athletics squad, is set to make her Commonwealth Games debut."Because I had my leg amputated at such a young age, it was just normal to me," she said. "As I grew older, I think I did see myself as different but then sports made me see further and showed me I can do sport just like anyone else. "It may look different but the feeling is the same."Born in Caerphilly, Bowen will realise a childhood dream by representing her country at the Commonwealth Games in the seated shot put."I'm really proud of myself. It's been my dream since I was four or five. I said I want to do sports and represent Wales and that's what I'm doing," she said.Wales at the Commonwealth GamesIt was Anthony Hughes MBE, the driving force behind so many of Wales' most successful Para-athletes as performance director at Disability Sport Wales, who first spotted her potentialHe introduced Bowen to wheelchair racing, in which she immediately won medals, before she found a passion for throwing. "I had just started shot put, discus and javelin when Covid happened. I went back after and was thrown into a competition and I won best performer," she said."So I was like, 'oh, I'm okay at it' and then I just kept going and fell in love with it."It is hard to imagine there will be many spectators at Gl...