ROBERT Shaw took a step closer to his London 2012 Paralympic dream with a lifetime best performance during trials in Buckinghamshire.

Shaw, who was left in a wheelchair following a dreadful car crash two years ago, scored 589 at an international meeting at the Stoke Mandeville Olympic Village.

That was just 11 points behind the Paralympic qualifying mark, and it meant that Shaw has now been invited back for a final round of qualifying at the venue in October.

He said: “This was definitely the time to produce my PB, and all I can do is keeping giving the selectors something to think about.

“I was 25 points behind the Paralympic archery gold medallist John Cavanagh, and just two arrows off of making the qualifying mark, so I am taking great confidence from that.”

Shaw, an archer with the Chase Bowman Club in Westcliff, put his improved performance down to his new, custom-made-for-competition wheelchair. He raised the thousands of pounds he needed for the chair after publicity in the Echo, which brought forward three sponsors, who wish to remain anonymous.

Shaw said: “I would really like to thank the Echo for all their help and I also need to thank my three sponsors who paid for the chair between them.

“They might not want me to reveal their names but I know who they are and I really appreciate what they have done.”

Shaw has been competing alongside some of the top competitors from America, Europe, and Africa this week.

He competes in a the W1 category, which is for archers who are quadriplegic.

The former engineer was left with massive damage to his spine and without the use of both legs and his right arm when his car was thrown into the air following a smash on the M25 in July 2009.

It left his life in tatters but he has found redemption through his passion for archery, and is now in the running for a spot at one of the coveted Team GB spots at next year’s Games in London.