Blog: “Wheelchair tennis is a big stress reliever for me”
Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday. This year we have been sharing experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels. Today, we continue this theme and hear from Mark Esho on how getting into wheelchair tennis has kept him fit and mobile.
Hello I’m Mark, I’m 55 years-old and I live in Leicester. I contracted Polio at the age of five which initially left me paralysed from the neck down. I partially recovered and began to walk again using a caliper on my left leg and crutches.
My main sport is wheelchair tennis and I often go to the David Lloyds Centre with my tennis coach, Jayant Mistry, who’s a retired Great Britain Wheelchair tennis player. I also play at Loughborough Tennis club with friends too.
I started wheelchair tennis four years ago after being introduced to it by a friend. I really enjoyed my first game and since then I’ve continued to enjoy playing.
Wheelchair tennis has many benefits but the most important ones for me are that it keeps me fit, mobile and it’s a great stress reliever too, so it really helps me have a positive mental state. I also own three busy companies and this can mean I’m sedentary most of the day. Playing wheelchair tennis helps break up my routine and makes me physically active.
Being active has led me to a lot of great things, one being my book ‘I can. I will.’ The book came about at a time of being under a lot of stress at work. I was also struggling to manage my Post Polio Syndrome, which causes muscle ache and chronic fatigue. I realised there was more to life than work, so I became active by playing sport and then I decided to tell my life story.
The book began in September 2017 and details my life journey of being disabled at five, facing abuse and both racial and disability discrimination, to setting up a number of successful businesses and becoming an award winning businessman.
The book was published in July 2018 and went on to become a number one bestseller in August. I’m really proud of this achievement.
I get a lot of support from my family and friends and this is very important to me because without them I would find it very difficult to be active.
The rest of the year sees me playing in a few tennis tournaments. I would also like to try an inclusive fitness club, I’m really keen to try out a park push.
My advice to other disabled people who are wanting to get active is that it’s definitely worth the effort because the rewards in terms of mental and physical health are enormous.
If you want to be more active but aren't sure how to start, visit our dedicated webpages for advice.
If you’re interested in trying tennis, you can find guidance, local sessions and information on the support available on the Tennis Foundation website.
