A TALENTED racing driver has been told his 'autism is his superpower' inspiring others to achieve their dreams.

Bobby Trundley from Wokingham was named ‘Young Person of the Year’ at the Anna Kennedy Charity ‘Autism Heroes Awards’ on Saturday, June 11.

The 22-year-old was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of four. Bobby was non-verbal for a prolonged period and faced challenges socially and at school. 

When he was 10, he was invited to a karting birthday party that changed his life and led to him becoming the most successful autistic racing driver in the world.

Since then, he has become a five time go karting champion, before joining the all-disabled Team BRIT in 2019.

The racing team aims to be the first ever all-disabled team to race in the Le Mans 24 hour and supports people with physical and psychological challenges in accessing motorsport.

Three years on, he is driving a brand new McLaren 570S GT4 in the British GT Championship – one of the most hotly contested GT championships in Europe.

This entry, alongside his teammate Aaron Morgan, takes the team just one step away from its goal of making history at Le Mans.

Bobby said: “It’s a huge honour to have won the ‘Autism Hero Award’ for ‘Young Person of the Year.’ Everyone nominated deserved to win and after my ‘Outstanding Achievement in Sport Award’ in 2016 I never dreamt I could win again.

“To spend an evening with inspirational people who understand, work and live with autism was empowering and made for a brilliant evening.

“Anna Kennedy OBE and her devoted staff set up the charity ‘Anna Kennedy Online’ to help society and raise autism awareness, acceptance and understanding and are recognised globally for their tireless and ground-breaking work. They are a small charity with the biggest heart and I will always be indebted to them for the advice and support they give to all who need their help.”

Team BRIT Founder Dave Player said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Bobby has received this recognition, which is incredibly deserved.

“When we first met Bobby back in 2019, he was shy and did not believe in himself or his abilities.  He has thrived as part of our team and has worked so hard on building on his self-confidence, his presentation skills, his fitness and his racing ability.

“I’m immensely proud of the young man he has become, he is a fantastic ambassador for our team, for anyone with a disability and for anyone living with autism. He is a living example of what can be achieved with the right support, dedication and motivation. His future is incredibly bright.”