PARALYMPIC hopeful Jack Rutter has urged the British public to show their support for the British Paralympic team over the course of 2016 and beyond.

Rutter, a midfielder at Lydney Town and also the captain of England’s Cerebral Palsy team, is getting behind the British Paralympic Association’s ’Supercharge Paralympics GB’ campaign, launched to help fund the nation’s superhuman sports stars.

“I watched London 2012 and knew that I wanted to be a part of the incredible team that I saw competing for Great Britain at the Games,” Rutter said.

“This year is such an important one. I am training so hard and I want my preparations to be perfect. With the public’s support to ’supercharge’ us, the whole team’s preparations can be the best they can possibly be and we can go to Rio ready to make the nation proud.”

Rutter, from Newent, captained his country to Paralympic qualification last summer via the Cerebral Palsy World Championships, held at St George’s Park in Burton, as they finished fifth in the tournament.

Rutter was also named in the team of the tournament, scoring eight goals in the process – with six coming in England’s first game, a 14-0 win over Japan.

’The Paralympics GB team will face its toughest competition yet in Rio with standards increasing across all sports among other nations, and winning medals is likely to become even harder over coming Games,” a spokesperson for the BPA said.

“Following a home games in London the team also faces a decade of long haul travel – with upcoming games in Rio, Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing.

“It will be more challenging and expensive than ever before for the BPA to support athletes that in turn can inspire real change across society through their performances.”