Discover > Speaker Type: Athlete
Challenging attitudes
Sally recalls early attitudes towards the Paralympic Games and how she challenged them.
The Finmere Horse Show
Sally recalls the origins of the Finmere Show, raising money for the plane that carried athletes to Rome in 1960.
Stoke Mandeville’s reputation
Sally describes the hope that Stoke Mandeville’s reputation gave her after her spinal injury.
Personal achievement
Robin talks about the sense of pride and personal development that came as a result of his sporting achievements.
Change in media coverage
Robin discusses changes in media coverage of the Paralympics over the course of his career.
Seoul 1988 opening ceremony
Robin describes the awe-inspiring scale of the Seoul 1988 opening ceremony.
Opportunities in sport
Bobby talks about the possibilities for people motivated to be involved in sport.
Disability sport pathways
Bobby reflects on the opportunities available to get into disabled sports now that each has its own individual pathway.
Sitting volleyball founder
Bobby describes founding the new sport of sitting volleyball as his proudest achievement in sport.
Importance of sporting prostheses
Bobby reflects on the development of sporting prostheses, and their importance.
Rugby leg
Bobby recalls playing for three rugby teams at the same time, and shares a surprising story about an alternative use for his rugby leg.
Gold at first swimming competition
Peter remembers winning a gold medal at his very first swimming competition.
Swimming technique
Peter remembers a rather comical misconception about his swimming technique at Seoul 1988.
Sport done differently
Peter remembers an incredible moment when he realised how much attitudes towards the Paralympics had changed.
London 2012 Paralympic village
Naomi describes the people-watching opportunities in the dining hall at the Paralympic village.
Motivation
Naomi describes how her motivation to compete helped her recover from a life-threatening accident.
Dorney roar
Naomi describes winning a Paralympic gold medal to the sound of the ‘Dorney roar’ at London 2012.
Proving people wrong
Naomi recalls overhearing cruel words at school and how they motivated her to prove people wrong.
Challenges
Naomi remembers growing up with achromatopsia, and how her parents helped her to find alternative ways of doing things.
Role at WheelPower
Martin tells the story of how he became CEO of WheelPower, and what it means to him.
Home of the Paralympic Movement
Martin describes Stoke Mandeville as the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement.
Rehabilitation
Martin describes the rehabilitation process at Stoke Mandeville, and his experience building a new life after spinal injury.
Turning point
Martin describes the 1988 Games in Seoul as the turning point of the modern Paralympic era.
Cheerleader
Martin remembers spotting his dad out of the corner of his eye while he swam at the 1984 Games.
Medals at the 1984 Games
Martin remembers winning five medals at the 1984 Games, and the feeling of being on the podium.
Proving people wrong
Martin remembers being told he couldn’t dive in at Stoke Mandeville, and proving everybody wrong.
Radical approach
Martin describes the radical approach of his school P.E. teacher, who had a profound impact on him in early life.
Love of water
Martin describes his early love of water and his father’s determination that he should learn to swim.
Communication
Mark describes the improvised system that he and his guide used to communicate during races.
Innsbruck 1984 Winter Games
Mark remembers the feeling of carrying the flag for the British Team in the Winter Paralympic Games 1984.
Game changers
Mark stresses the importance of celebrating all who contribute to the Paralympic movement.
Confidence from Paralympic sport
Mark talks about the confidence that Paralympic sport has given him in the face of life’s challenges.
Arrival at the Seoul 1998 Games
Marc describes arriving in Seoul as part of the British team in 1988.
Variety of Para sports
Marc remembers learning that the Paralympics were not only for paraplegic athletes.
Experiencing disability sport
Marc remembers the eye-opening experience of competing alongside people with a range of disabilities for the first time.
Negative attitudes to disability
Marc reflects on why attitudes towards disability can be quite negative.
London 2012 Games were revolutionary
Marc talks about London 2012 as a moment of revolution for the Paralympic movement.
Juggling work and sport
Jayant describes the challenge of balancing work and sport in the days before athletes had funded support.
Stoke Mandeville Junior Games
Jayant describes his experiences at the first Junior Games at Stoke Mandeville.
Competing at the Barcelona 1992 Games
Jayant remembers competing in Barcelona 1992 and the thrill of playing for Great Britain in front of screaming crowds.
Winning the Wimbledon Championship
Jayant describes winning the Wimbledon Championship in 2005 as the best experience of his life.
Role at London 2012
Jayant shares the pride he feels about his role as wheelchair tennis manager for London 2012.
Taking backwards steps
Jamie reflects on the backwards steps that are sometimes needed to progress in sport.
The Limb Power Games
Jamie talks about how transformational the Limb Power Games can be for people living with disabilities.
Problem-solving skills
Jamie talks about living in a world designed for people with two hands, and how he gets around it.
London 2012 and Limb Power
Jamie remembers being inspired by London 2012 and Limb Power events at Stoke Mandeville as a youngster.
Different strengths
Ian emphasises that every individual has different strengths – go out there and find yours.
London 2012
Ian remembers carrying the Paralympic torch and performing in the opening ceremony at London 2012.
School of hard knocks
Ian talks about being teased at school and how it eventually helped him to build resilience.
The power of sport
Helene shares the duty she feels as an athlete to spread the word about the power of sport.
Strong support network
Helene emphasises the importance of having a strong team around you, whatever your goal.
Paralympic rowing and ballet similarities
Helene talks about the similarities between ballet dance and rowing.
Variety Village in Toronto
Helene remembers being inspired by the inclusive atmosphere at Variety Village in Toronto.
Seoul 1988 Games
David remembers being inspired by the Seoul 1988 Games, which were held in the same city as the Olympics for the first time in 24 years.
Problem-solving skills
David discusses the problem-solving skills he learned growing up with sight loss, and how they supported his sporting and business careers.
Supportive parents
David talks about his early life, and how his parents treated him just the same as their other children despite his visual impairment.
Winning races
Clare talks about the anger that fuelled her running, and how she drowned out the crowds to focus on winning races.
400 metre world record
Clare describes the feeling of breaking the world record for the 400 metres at the Special Olympics.
World Championships
Clare talks about her injury and the training she received from Sally Gunnell in preparation for the World Championships.
Specialist training
Clare remembers being selected to train for the Special Olympics and the specialist training she received from top athletes.
Equal treatment of athletes
Andrew Hodge recalls the equal treatment of Olympians and Paralympians at the Seoul Games in 1988.
Evolution of racing wheelchairs
Andrew describes how racing wheelchairs have evolved since his early sporting career.