Rugby League World Cup: England's Lewis King on his journey to wheelchair tournament

Lewis King was at the last Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. He was disappointed as England lost in the decider.

After watching Joe Coyd compete at the last tournament, the 37 year old from Dartford is about to make his World Cup debut with his London Roosters teammate.

In 2009, King was diagnosed with a blood clot on his spine and, after a 21-hour emergency operation, was left paralyzed and had to come to terms with a life that was changed forever.

Wheelchair rugby league gave him a new lease of life, despite the fact that he only played wheelchair basketball.

He told the radio station that he loved it from the beginning. It is a level playing field when you are sitting in a chair.

The players at the last World Cup were so skilled that I knew I had to be there again.

I have received a lot of support from my teammates. When I think about the journey I have taken, it is an amazing feeling.

King was named the Super League player of the year in his first year after being selected in the England training squad.

One of England's three World Cup debutants will be the winger who has become a mainstay of the international team.

Key to his development has been Coyd, 25, who will be playing in his third World Cup as England's most capped player, having started playing the wheelchair game at the age of 10.

Tom is the England coach while Martin is the team manager and has been for a long time.

Lewis has always been a great athlete and I knew he had something about him from the beginning. The progress he has made is remarkable for a person who has never picked up a ball before.

He was thrown the hardest passes at every club session for a year when he was on the fringes of international selection. He couldn't catch a cold in the first couple of weeks, but he worked so hard that he was able to.

The sport, which describes itself as "rugby league in wheelchairs", allows disabled players like King and non-disabled players like Coyd to play on the same team at all levels.

Coyd says playing the game has helped him learn more about disabilities.

Things like going for a swim or making a cup of tea are not things that I take for granted, and it would never have crossed my mind how their disability affects them and how they do things differently.

There is a lot of curiosity about playing the game as a non-disabled player. People who don't know I play wheelchair rugby league are surprised when I tell them I am not disabled.

I picked up the chair skills fairly quickly because I was so young when I started playing the wheelchair game.

It is hard to master it all together because you have to catch the ball, decide what you want to do and then move quickly.

The wheelchair competition is part of the Rugby League World Cup for the first time. England will play Australia on Thursday, followed by games against Spain and Ireland.

Both King and Coyd agree that the delay to the tournament has worked in France's favor.

"We probably weren't where we wanted to be this time last year, but the extra 12 months means we are in a much better place as individuals and as a team."

I think it has helped me. We've had a lot of support to get us in the best position and I feel fit and stronger.

Coyd says they are here to win. I've lost two World Cup finals with England and that's not fun, we are ambassadors for the sport and want to showcase how great it is.