Leah (who has Spina bifida) attended her first Wheelchair Basketball session in July 2023 after her mum saw wheelchair basketball being delivered in the school where she worked, and decided to bring her along to try it with Jaguars WBC club. She turned up in a dress determined not to take part, but towards the end of the session she had been persuaded to sit in a sports chair, and that raised a smile.
To start with she couldn’t catch or throw and struggled with pushing at any pace. But, over the following months Leah developed her strength and coordination. She can now catch and throw well and at almost one year she scored her first basket with a full-size basketball at 10ft. An impressive personal achievement for her.
Leah says:
People think, oh you can’t play basketball or you can’t do sports, because you’re in a wheelchair, it just goes to show, you know, that not all disabilities define you.
Leah attends sessions every week and now participates for the full session. Since attending, she is fitter, stronger and more confident.
Her mum commented:
At wheelchair basketball she can just be Leah. I can’t express what wheelchair basketball has done for her – personal, social and physical well-being – the whole shebang! She needs me for everything, but at Wheelchair basketball, other than getting her there and changed, she doesn’t need me – she can just be herself.
Jaguars coaches added:
Two years on and Leah (Woody) has developed into a team player, with her defense, positioning and speed increasing. She is also a lot more confident and is not afraid to speak her mind.
Hear from Leah in this video recorded for the 2024 Lincolnshire Sport & Physical Activity Awards.