Monthly blog round-up: October
Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday – sharing the experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels, and those who support disabled people, on their journey to being more active. Today, we take a look back at our blogs throughout October and look forward to November's stories.
Shiraz Arif - bodybuilder
Our first blog of the month came from Shiraz Arif who told us how bodybuildng makes him feel powerful in both body and mind.
"I love being active – bodybuilding makes me feel amazing and powerful, like I’m some kind of superhero from Marvel or DC. It also has an important impact on my mental health as it helps me to become strong and positive, as well as stay focussed."
Hassan Khan - cricketer
Our next October blog came from cricketer Hassan Khan. He told us about his love for the game and how he was introduced to the sport.
"My PE teacher introduced me to the game I once loved, but now accessible for me, I quickly learned I still maintained some of my skills and I fell head over heels in love with cricket again. I found myself training with Metro Blind Sport, a London-based charity which aims to open doors to sport for all visually impaired people, no matter their age or ability. Their standard of blind cricket was just breath-taking. I didn't think I'd ever pull on a Metro shirt in a competitive match but I did."
Sophie Harris - GB para-rower
We heard from Sophie mid-October on how rowing has opened up a lot of opportunities for her.
"I’ve met some amazing individuals along this new path and rowing has opened up so many new opportunities for me too. I truly believe I have limitless potential – the hard work really does pay off."
Molly Griffith - GB para-alpine skier
The end of October saw us hear from Molly. She told us how benig active has helped her with her self-esteem and independence.
"Being active has helped me enormously with my self-esteem, and is helping me to develop my independence. Of course it is not without its challenges. Sometimes I’m tired and don’t want to train, and sometimes my right arm and leg hurt. Sometimes I don’t ski as well as I want to, so I am frustrated and disappointed. Sometimes I don’t finish a race because I’ve fallen over, or missed a gate and been disqualified. This is all part of the journey. There is success and there is failure. What I am learning is to get back on my feet and try even harder the next time."
That's all for our October round-up. November will see us share blogs from active disabled men in support of Movember, a campaign that raises awareness of men's mental health issues.
In support of this Activity Alliance is encouraging men to come forward and share their stories on being active. If you would like to share your story, please email the communications team on news@activityalliance.org.uk, or call 0161 228 2868.
