Watford’s local hero Rio Woolf turns on intu Watford Christmas lights

Elected Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, added: “Having a real local hero to turn on the lights tonight is far better than getting in a celebrity we’ve nearly all forgotten. It’s a great idea. Intu is a wonderful asset to the town, they contribute a lot more than many people realise and events like this really reflect that.”

Rio was born without a tibia, knee or ankle joint due to a rare condition called tibial aplasia.His leg was amputated when he was 14 months old and his NHS prosthetic limb was so heavy it dragged behind him when he tried to run after his friends in the playground.

Since watching the Paralympics in 2012 Rio wanted to run on the Olympic Stadium track himself with his own running blade, which he received on Christmas Eve in 2012, designed by Dorset Orthopaedic.
Starting with appearances from Watford Theatre , Watford FC Players, Boy Band Concept.