Lily Mills, who struck double gold at the 2019 Special Olympic World Games, will compete for Team GB in Berlin this summer

A TENNIS ace born with a rare genetic disorder is set to bid for more Team GB glory after being selected to take part in the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin this summer.

Lily Mills was picked to represent her country by Special Olympics Camden, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The 22-year-old, who lives in Drayton Park, Islington, is no stranger to landing success within the elite ranks having struck double gold for Team GB at the 2019 Special Olympic World Games held in Abu Dhabi, where she won the women’s singles and mixed doubles events.

Lily, who is currently studying at Westminster Kingsway College, also scooped silver medals for Team GB in the women’s singles and mixed doubles competitions at the National Summer Games in Sheffield back in 2017.

Reflecting on her return to the international stage, she said: “It’s amazing, I can’t wait to represent Team GB again. It’s going to be fun.”

The determination and courage that Lily shows on the court, however, is nothing compared to the fortitude that she has displayed off it.

Within days of being born in 2000, Lily became seriously ill and was rushed to hospital where her mum, Tallulah, was told there was a 50 per cent chance she would survive.

Lily was diagnosed with meningitis and septicaemia, and doctors later discovered that she also had a one-in-45,000 condition called galactosemia, which prevents her body from breaking down sugar galactose, causing it to build up to toxic levels if left untreated. She is now on a strict lactose-free diet.

These early complications left Lily with a number of cognitive impairments, including learning disabilities, short-term memory loss and poor coordination and a tremor.

Lily, though, hasn’t let such challenges hold her back. Since first picking up a tennis racket at the age of just five, she has gone on to win countless trophies and medals at regional, national and international levels.

Her love of the sport is only growing. She trains at the Islington Tennis Centre in Market Road throughout the week with her coach Mukember Musa, and on Saturdays the former Drayton Park Primary School pupil also attends Mayfield Tennis Club in Palmers Green, Enfield.

Stressing the importance that tennis holds for her daughter, Tallulah, who was a teaching assistant at Drayton Park Primary School for 16 years before leaving to become Lily’s full-time carer, said: “Tennis has given Lily opportunities she never thought she would have. She lives and breathes tennis.

“Lily has found it hard to make friends – tennis has given her a life.

“Having learning difficulties and short-term memory loss, the repetition of tennis has been life-changing for Lily, helping her build not only her confidence and self-esteem but also her coordination and physical health.”

Lily is fundraising ahead of her trip to Germany in June. To support her in her journey, visit www.gofundme.com