Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball - Autism & Physical Disabilities w/Sarah Hope (Team GB)

What is it like being disabled AND autistic? Is Team GB friendly for disabled people? What goes on in the life of a Paralympic athlete?

In this episode, Thomas talks to a professional wheelchair basketball player Sarah Hope from the Great Britain Squad about the strengths and difficulties of being both autistic and physically disabled in sport. 

Late-diagnosed with autism, Sarah fell injured during her running... she thought it was tendonitis, but it turned out that she a very rare condition called 'Hereditary Peripheral Neuropathy'. 

In the podcast, we talk about how she got into wheelchair basketball, the long process of getting diagnosed with her two conditions, the inclusive support measures Team GB put in place for her, the strange or rude assumptions and actions of the general public due to her wheelchair, and even the crossover between identity-first language for autism and how people identify when physically disabled.  

Thomas and Sarah get on 'sportingly', chatting about Thomas' demotivating encounters with the GB Taekwondo coaches, his Commonwealth Gold successes, and the physical/mental benefits both of them have seen from regular exercise and being involved in team-based or competition environment. 

If you have an exciting or interesting story and want to appear on the next podcast, please contact me at: [email protected] 

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♫ Listen On -

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6vjXgCB7Q3FwtQ2YqPjnEV

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thoughty-auti-the-autism-mental-health-podcast/id1470689079

Music -

♫ Track: [Chill Music] Ikson - Reverie [No Copyright Music]

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