AN OTLEY teenager has spoken about the life-changing impact of her blog about Life as a Cerebral Palsy Student.

Chloe Tear was presented with the Prince Henry's Association Award for Service to Community and School in December.

That was in recognition of her efforts to raise awareness of cerebral palsy through writing and her campaigning work against disability hate crime.

Chloe, a 17 year old Prince Henry's Grammar School pupil, said: "When I was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy at the age of seven I never thought I would be so confident about it, never mind write a blog for the world to read.

"I set up Life as a Cerebral Palsy Student in 2013 and have not looked back.

"Blogging had been something that had interested me but it was only during an ICT lesson - when we were designing websites - that it became a reality.

"As well as gaining confidence from it my blog has been a valuable tool to connect with other teenagers who have CP, something I had never done before.

"Writing has also allowed me to turn obstacles into opportunities."

Chloe, who will begin studying Psychology and Child Development at Leeds Trinity University later this year, begins her blog by introducing herself as "a high school student with a twist".

She goes on to describe how she was born eight weeks early and how her condition - cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent movement disorders - affects her left side.

In her Things I Have Learnt During 2015 list, she includes Do the Things That Scare You Most.

She said: "For me this could be getting over my fear of public speaking, now something I actually enjoy! Also I managed to get selected for Assistant Head Girl in the process and have done various assemblies to all year groups.

"Or last month, when I decided to walk unaided to get the award - with not a fall in sight, just very, very shaky legs!"

She has written two guest blogs for Scope, too, and through that met author Anne Eliot whose How I Fall and How I Fly books feature a heroine with cerebral palsy.

In 2015 Chloe became a Head Ambassador for the charity CP Teens UK.

She said: "This year I have signed up for their 5 kilometre Sponsored Wobble and the charity is currently expanding its ambassadors - this has been a really exciting process to be part of."

She has received lots of encouraging feedback, with her favourite message to date reading: "Thank you for speaking honestly and humorously about disability.

"You help people like me to see that we are not alone."

Chloe's blog can be found at www.cpstudentblog.blogspot.co.uk .