Are some opportunities more equal than others for disabled athletes?
And why you should upgrade to our paid subscription for more in-depth articles and the individual stories of incredible runners
This week we published our long read on the do’s and don’t of how to treat disabled runners.
It was a fascinating to hear from stroke survivor David Swales, deaf runner Dannii Levi, wheelchair racer Steve Montgomery and guide runner Simon Elliott about the good and bad experiences they have had at parkruns, races and while running on a daily basis.
But I would like to pick up on two other things I have heard from wheelchair athletes in the past week.
Speaking to ultra-marathoner, Claudia Burrough, for the Running Tales podcast, I was struck by how she is unable to take part in many elite races due to her lack of a paralympic classification.
That’s something she can’t get until the medical community comes up with a defined condition to explain the unsteadiness in her legs which has ultimately led to her competing in a wheelchair.
She’s basically not been categorised as the right kind of disabled yet.
Meanwhile, Steve Montgomery and his Northampton Saints wheelchair rugby colleague Gerry McCrory (keep an eye out for their podcast appearance soon) told me how the Wheelchair Rugby 5’s sport they love had to fight for its very existence.
The classification around the game is less strict than the traditional four-man game - Gerry is an amputee with a prosthetic leg who certainly would not be allowed to play that original version.
Without the 5’s he wouldn’t be able to be a rugby player, but he said there was plenty of opposition to it when it first came about.
Gerry and others are told they are not disabled enough.
These two examples suggest the challenges facing wheelchair athletes don’t only come from those historical prejudices - that thankfully seem to be slowly dissipating through greater inclusivity and the growth in popularity of the Paralympics - but from within disability sport as well.
I’d be interested to hear the perspective of any wheelchair racers reading this - let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I mentioned Claudia Burrough earlier, and as I said she’s our guest for this week’s podcast - and a fascinating one at that.
Claudia started running regularly after attending Bushy parkrun - although she didn't particularly like it at first.
Nevertheless, over the next year, she gradually improved her 5k time, before unsteadiness in her legs meant she had to start using crutches and eventually a wheelchair.
Undaunted, Claudia has gone on to embrace a new journey, one that has involved the heat and hills of the Comrades Ultra, as well as a London Marathon experience she calls the best day of her life.
Away from the podcast, I can’t let you go without making a pitch for the free subscribers among you to upgrade to our paid subscription.
The £5 per month it costs helps fund everything we do, from the podcast to our social media to this newsletter and website, and we hope the content we provide in return is worth that small outlay.
Here’s what it would have got you in the last two weeks alone:
"Just live life to the full and love every minute of it" - The epic story of how running helped Tony Collier battle terminal cancer
Warm-up and listen to your body: Expert advice to avoid running injuries - How pushing through the pain barrier could cause long term damage, and other tips to 'keep on running'
Running to beat the menopause: The story of one woman's JOGLE with a twist - Lorna Cullen's 49-day journey from John O'Groats to Lands' End took in Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden
The dos and don'ts of how to treat disabled runners - Wheelchair racer Steve Montgomery, stroke survivor David Swales, deaf runner Dannii Levi and guide runner Steve Elliott offer their insight
If you want to say on the free subscription model, that’s cool too. It’s great to chat to you about all things running.
Have a good week,
Craig