Watching Alberto Campbell-Staines, you would think he was born to run.

“I just feel more free when I run,” he told the ABC’s 7.30 program.

“I mean, people just look at me and say, ‘that kid always runs. I’ve never seen him walk’.”

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But looks can be deceiving, and his life now is a world away from where it began.

“Bertie’s story is a marvellous story,” Alberto’s coach, Annette Rice, said.

“It’s fantastic that, really, he’s come from a young boy who’s been malnourished to an athlete representing Australia.”

Alberto was born prematurely in Jamaica and was sent to the state-run orphanage in Kingston when he was just three months old.

As a child, he suffered malnutrition which led to brain damage.

Now he is on track to represent Australia at the World Championships in Doha in October and is a big hope for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Alberto is on track to represent Australia at the World Championships in Doha and is a big hope for the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Photo: ABC

He is currently ranked third fastest in the world in his category (T20) in the 400-metre sprint.

The turning point in Alberto’s life was meeting Julie-Anne and Paul Staines, an Australian couple who were teaching in a school for the blind and disabled in Jamaica.

“He was in my grade one class and he was one of the naughty boys,” Ms Staines said.

“One of my jobs was to try and round the kids up to get them back into class after break time,” Mr Staines said.

“And I remember one particular time, Alberto and three of his mates were up the tree and they were not coming down.

“They were having a lovely time just throwing almonds down at me as I was yelling at them to get back into class.”

Alberto was nine years old at the time and had only just begun attending the school.

“That day was a remarkable day – it changed my life, actually, that day,” Alberto said.

The Staines couple helped open up a whole new world to the young orphan.

“They were strict but they were doing their best to teach me different things, show me different things, like pictures,” Alberto said.

“They were teaching me words that I hardly ever used.”

Five-year slog for Alberto to gain citizenship

Over time, the Staines couple separately came to the same conclusion – that there was a special connection with Alberto and that they should adopt him.

The legal process to adopt in Jamaica is quick and the couple returned to Australia with their new son travelling on a tourist visa.

They then began the long slog of getting Australian citizenship for Alberto.

The tourist visa was continually extended while the citizenship application was processed.

It went right up to the Migration Review Tribunal until finally after five years, the application was successful.

“[The magistrate] said, ‘I can clearly see that you are Alberto’s mother and father’ and granted [the citizenship] that day,” Ms Staines said.

Alberto shows early signs of athletic talent

Alberto’s athletic gift came as surprise to his new parents.

It was a school athletics day in Australia, and they were encouraging him to take part and enjoy himself.

“We said, you know, ‘just have fun’,” Mr Staines said.

“‘Don’t bother about if you win or not, just see if you can keep up with your friends’.”

Alberto did more than just keep up with his friends. He beat all the other students in nearly all the races he entered.

“Obviously mum and dad were very proud of me. I kind of gave them a shock, I guess,” Alberto said.

“They weren’t expecting me to do that well and I kind of gave myself a shock as well.”

Now Alberto trains several hours a day, six days a week.

He has been running professionally for the last five years, racing in competitions around the world.

And the World Championships and Paralympics are looming large.

Mr Staines struggles to describe how he feels about Alberto’s achievements.

“I know that in his life he’s had to overcome so much … I do get a little bit emotional,” he said.

“Every time – yes, every time – I get emotional because I know he’s had to deal with so much in his life.

“And to see where he is now and to see the hard work he puts in, makes me extremely proud.

“He’s the bravest young man I’ve ever met.”

-ABC