Women’s Sport Week: Five active disabled women's stories
Women’s Sport Week is an opportunity for everybody involved with playing, delivering, leading or working in sport to celebrate, raise awareness and increase the profile of women’s sport across the UK. The English Federation of Disability Sports exists to help make active lives possible for all disabled people. This week we are celebrating active disabled women. The following women, of all ages and from across the whole country, have all discovered the benefits of sport or active recreation.
The latest Sport England Active People Survey 10, published this spring, shows that more than 76 per cent of disabled women do not participate in sport of any intensity and of any meaningful duration on a month-to-month basis.
Amanda about being active:
The recent campaign, Together We Will, followed busy mum of four, Amanda Worne's every move. At the end of the campaign we shared Amanda's journey - to motivate and encourage disabled people and their friends and family to be active and stay active all year round. She said:
"Keeping active isn't a hobby, it's a way of life when you're in a wheelchair. It's essential because your arms become your legs and without some form of physical fitness, day-to-day tasks would become even harder.”
Watch Amanda's story here and find out more about her.
Cassie says about running:
Running really helps me to keep my leg strong, which helps with walking and my gait, my everyday getting around. Some days everything comes together, running feels really lovely and both legs work beautifully. And I just have the nicest time.
Whatever your limitation might be, it isn't really a limitation at all. You might have to do things differently, but that is absolutely fine. Sport has helped my hugely - it has shown me that I can do whatever I want to. There may be barriers but there are always a way around them.
Cath says about powerchair football:
There is not another feeling like knowing that you've been part of a match-changing goal. I didn't know that euphoria before playing powerchair football.
If someone told me I couldn't play powerchair football ever again I'd be absolutely gutted. It means that much to me.
Chandni says about working out in the gym:
For a long time I have just focused on my career. For a good few years I didn't focus on my health. But if you find a gym then just force yourself, push yourself to go in. You'll see the difference it can make to your life.
Fine, I cannot see. But that shouldn't stop me from looking after myself. At the end of the day, yes I have a disability. But I just need to get on. I need to look after myself and make myself feel good and positive.
Hannah says about dancing:
When I'm dancing, on the one hand it's helping me with my conditions. But on the other hand, I’m just dancing because it's fun! Just because you can't run around a football pitch doesn’t mean you can’t do sport.
It's just so nice to be active and doing something where, in a strange way, my disability is a bonus. My disability helps me do other things that people can't do. It's like all of me makes sense and works together.
