A bold statement and of course, it is easier said than done, but access to Para-sport has improved since the goosebumps generated by the London Paralympics and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. And of course there is Channel 4’s on-going coverage of major Para-sports events in the build-up to Rio 2016.
Of course, it is easier said than done, but access to Para-sport has improved since the goosebumps of the London Paralympics, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Channel 4’s on-going coverage of major Para-sports events in the build-up to Rio 2016.
We could lecture you on the benefits of sport and exercise for a spinal cord injured person (which we will later), but we know that every spinal cord injury is complicated and unique to the individual.
It is also easy to keep waving the flags of the London Paralympics and Glasgow Games, but if those inspiring events and the achievements of those superhuman athletes do not filter down to grassroots then it is meaningless.
So the question, ‘Can I play sport?’ will get a different answer depending on who asks it. There are many factors involved, such as the completeness of the spinal cord injury, location, access to kit and equipment, local funding and sponsorship, government cuts and a person’s character.
But, there are opportunities out there and they are not limited to just wheelchair racing.
Across the UK there are clubs and groups playing tennis, rugby, basketball, powerlifting, fencing, ice sledge hockey, field athletics, powerchair football and many more. There are also fabulous organisations working to improve access to sport for spinal cord injured people. Good places to start are:
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is a charity dedicated to disabled people in sport and physical activity. EFDS supports a wide range of organisations to include disabled people more effectively and have a vision for disabled people to be active for life.
Parasport aims to encourage more disabled people to take up sport, by providing information about sports and sporting opportunities in local areas. The organisation described itself as the Yellow Pages for disability sport, providing information about high quality disability sports clubs in the local area. Although Parasport is for anyone who has an interest in getting active or taking up sport, it is run by the British Paralympic Association for those who dream of representing their country.
WheelPower is passionate about sport and dedicated to providing opportunities for disabled people to live healthy active lifestyles. Currently it is running a pilot project in Spinal Units, where WheelPower’s Physical Activity Advisors are providing expert advice and support to patients with a recent spinal injury in the crucial early stages of rehabilitation.
As for the benefits of playing sport and recreational exercise to the spinal cord injury rehabilitation process, they are well known but that is not going to stop us from hammering home the point here.
The review article (‘Exercise and sport for persons with spinal cord injury’, KAM Ginis, 2012) provides an overview of the overwhelming evidence that links exercise and sports participation to physical and psychological well-being among people with a spinal injury. Participation in sport also helps prevent secondary chronic diseases that come with spinal cord injury, such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease.
As well as the physical benefits, taking part in sport stops isolation and can help maintain an active social life. The results of a 2009 study (‘Influence of Sport Participation on Community Integration and Quality of Life: A Comparison Between Sport Participants and Non-Sport Participants With Spinal Cord Injury’, Sonja A McVeigh, Sander L Hitzig, B. Cathy Craven) indicate that participation in sports after spinal cord injury is associated with better community integration and quality of life. It recommends that sport should be recognised as a partner to spinal cord injury rehabilitation programs, with the potential to contribute to improved rehabilitation outcomes.
Bear with us, there is more.
A 2014 study (Considering how athletic identity assists adjustment to spinal cord injury: a qualitative study, Hawkins C, Coffee P & Soundy A) concluded that participant’s athletic identity and participation in sport before their spinal cord injury represented a consistency in their life, and provided access to a network of social support from their peers. The participant’s athletic identity was used to buffer the psychological effects of the spinal cord injury and promote a more positive adjustment to their life changing injuries.
The increasing profile of Para-sport is attracting more and more researchers to the subject. The University of Bath’s Centre for DisAbility Sport and Health (DASH) is currently embarking on a new study to understand more about the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise for spinal cord injured wheelchair users. Researchers want to know more about the links between physical activity and health among spinal cord injured people so that they can make recommendations to improve the lives of wheelchair-users.
Birchall Blackburn Law are specialists lawyers for Serious and Catastrophic Injury.
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