Melanie Woods

Started: She began wheelchair racing in 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland. (All Good in the Sisterhood podcast, 13 Jun 2020) Reason: She became interested in Para sport after watching the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang on TV. "During my seven-month stay in hospital I began watching adaptive sport and became excited about all of the new opportunities that I wanted to get involved in. I was impressed with what the athletes were able to achieve and admired their determination not to allow anything to stand in their way. I thought, 'I've got to give this a go', and immediately started thinking about every type of sport I could try. After I was discharged from hospital I started playing tennis regularly and even travelled to Colorado [United States of America] to learn how to sit ski. But I soon discovered something that I had a talent for and was worth pursuing competitively - wheelchair racing. I knew instantly it was the sport for me. I was able to train on my own accord. I felt independence and I was able to put in the hours that suited me." (wheelpower.org.uk, 01 Apr 2020; melaniewoods.org, 01 Jun 2020; ross-shirejournal.co.uk, 02 Feb 2020; dailyrecord.co.uk, 23 Aug 2019) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (heraldscotland.com, 16 May 2024) Additional Info: TEACHER TO PARA ATHLETE Before her accident she worked as a secondary school physical education teacher in Dingwall, Scotland. "I was a PE teacher so encouraging people to find a sporting activity that they enjoy was in my nature. Now, looking at it from a disability view I'd love to think that sport is for everyone and can encourage as many people as possible, specifically those with disabilities, to find something that they enjoy and a way of being active. That doesn't necessarily mean the Paralympics. People with disabilities want to be fit and active and enjoy just like everyone else." (Twitter profile, 04 Aug 2021; glasgowworld.com, 05 May 2021; ross-shirejournal.co.uk, 02 Feb 2020)