I wouldn't have had a sporting career if it hadn't been for the volunteers who agreed to coach me, as a teenager, growing up in south Wales, at a time when others were telling me that wheelchair racing wasn't really athletics.
Interpretation
The support from volunteers played a crucial role in my athletic journey despite societal doubts.
This quote reflects on the importance of mentorship and volunteerism in shaping one’s path, particularly in the face of adversity. Tanni Grey-Thompson emphasizes that without the encouragement and coaching from volunteers during her formative years, she might not have pursued a career in sports, highlighting the vital role that guidance and belief from others can play in overcoming societal biases and personal challenges.
In practice
In a speech at a sports award ceremony, one might use this quote to acknowledge the important role of coaches and mentors.
Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of role models; they're not always elite athletes whose success might seem too distant or unachievable. Sometimes it's our friend who just smashed her first 10k, or our Zumba teacher who is enthusiastic, encouraging and real.
As a disabled person I have to think and plan far more than anyone else. If I want to catch a bus I have to consider whether the ramp works, whether there will be someone in the one space who doesn't want to move. It can be a constant worry.
Disability sport came about largely because of exclusion, because mainstream sport didn't want disabled people to be part of it.
I have me brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving beyond words.
In 1960, when I graduated from college, people told me a woman couldn't go to law school. And when I graduated from law school, people told me, 'Law firms won't hire you.'
People have to liberate themselves, because liberation is not a single act. It's a question of eternal vigilance. Otherwise, you'll just become enslaved by someone else.
The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.
But whoso is heroic must find crises to try his edge. Human virtue demands her champions and martyrs, and the trial of persecution always proceeds.
I learned to deal with the police... to be tough... to survive.
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