My reflections on the Paralympics as a wheelchair user

I have to confess, as a wheelchair user I’m not an avid viewer of the Paralympics. If I am going to be honest - I’m actually a little apathetic about it. And if I’m going to be really honest, it even used to be a source of some frustration for me. I realise that probably sounds very negative! Allow me to clarify…I have nothing but admiration for all the athletes involved! This isn’t about them or the Paralympics itself. 

My frustration probably stems more from the attitudes towards disabled people from society as a whole.

My frustration probably stems more from the attitudes towards disabled people from society as a whole. In fact, to locate the source of my frustration I have to go back to when I was a newly paralysed thirteen year old girl. It was very bizarre for me, but suddenly one of the most frequently asked questions I received was “Jade, do you think you would like to be in the Paralympics one day?” Erm. No? What are you talking about?! Whether it was well-meaning teachers, encouraging acquaintances or intrigued school mates - suddenly everyone wanted me to dream of bringing home a Gold medal for Team GB. 

I don’t mean this to sound harsh at all, it’s just that I was never asked if I wanted to be an Olympian pre-paralysis, so the sudden obsession with disabled athletics was very odd to me. I’d never been especially sporty and, for the early days of paralysis certainly, I was just in survival mode. Taking up badminton wasn’t exactly high on my list of priorities! 

Not only does the games provide opportunities for people with disabilities to continue to compete at a high level in sport, it also encourages others to be active and healthy.

That being said, I think the prevalence of this question is actually incredibly illuminating and there are certainly some positives. For example, it is clearly a ringing endorsement for all the incredible work being done by the Paralympic Games. Not only does the games provide opportunities for people with disabilities to continue to compete at a high level in sport, it also encourages others to be active and healthy. As well as normalising people with disabilities by showing the remarkable capacity for resilience, achievement and success, no matter what hand life deals you. 

However, I wonder if the success of the Paralympics also highlights the lack of representation and opportunities elsewhere in society? After all, representation brings so much hope. If you’ve never seen anyone like you doing something before, you have no reason to believe you are capable either.

I remember being fifteen at a Christian conference and I met another wheelchair user, a woman in her 40s. We were chatting - just small talk, and I remember asking her how she got to the conference. “Oh I drove” she replied casually. I was shocked. “What?” I said, “You can drive?”. She then explained to me how cars can be fitted with hand controls for those who can’t use their legs and in that moment I resolved to learn to drive as soon as possible, passing my test when I was just 17. It has been life changing for me and I love being able to encourage other wheelchair users myself, through our social media platforms. 

The reason I think all of this is so important is I believe it’s an issue very close to God’s heart. Time and time again in the gospels, we see Jesus elevating those society has ostracised, giving them opportunities not simply to follow him, but also to use their gifts and play a role in God’s mission. Imagine, for example, the power of seeing Matthew, the former tax collector, welcomed into the fold. How empowering for others who also felt too sinful for Jesus! Imagine them thinking: “If Jesus can transform a tax collector, maybe there’s hope for me after all!” That is still God’s heart for us today - that we wouldn’t be held back in life by ungodly powers and systems, so that we can play the unique role he has for us in his kingdom.