It's not about being superhuman, brave, or overcoming a disability

As the Paralympics draws to a close, our Senior Manager for Disability and former Paralympian, Esther Jones, recalls her journey into sport, experiences at the Games and why we should be careful when celebrating the success of disabled athletes. 

How did you get into sport? 

I really enjoyed being active when I was younger, although I didn’t know that sport for disabled people existed.  

There weren’t any role models in disability sport that I knew of back then (late 1980s), and the Paralympics didn’t have the publicity it has now.  I found out about sport for disabled people through my mum – she was an international classifier and involved in CP Sport.  They are the national disability sports organisation supporting people with cerebral palsy to be able to access and enjoy being physically active throughout their lives. 

I loved athletics, so I attended a ‘Come and Try It day’, and got involved in competitions run by CP Sport, which led me to getting an official classification (T38). CP Sport helped me to find an athletics coach and club too. 

Can you tell us about your experiences competing in the Paralympics? 

I competed in three Paralympic Games in Track Athletics (100m, 200m, 400m) between 1992 and 2000.  

Barcelona 1992.   

My first major international, and no one expected me to achieve what I did.   I achieved Silver medals in the 100m/200m.  (T37/38). I got a Gold Medal and World Record  in the 400m (T37/38).  

This was a very special Games for me personally. The people of Barcelona really embraced them.  There were unprecedented crowds.  The Olympic stadium was full of spectators (around 65,000) every evening session and I had never experienced anything like it.  

Atlanta 1996 

These games didn’t go to plan for me. Going into the Games I was current World Champion and WR holder in the 400m, having competed at the IPC World Championships in Berlin in 1994. However, the 400m was taken out of the programme, so I didn’t get to try and defend my title from four years earlier.  I finished 4th T38 200m. My least favourite games!  

Sydney 2000: 

I really enjoyed Sydney. I was going in as current World Champion for the 200m/400m (T 37/38), having beaten two Australian long-term rivals at the IPC World Athletics Championships in Birmingham in 1998. I was in great shape, but unfortunately, I was unwell in the run up to my competition.  I recovered enough to compete, and finished 4th in the 400m with a huge personal best. 

What is your role at Sport England? 

I am a Senior Manager in the Disability Team in Sport England, which is a role I really enjoy. I do a mixture of things, and work with a great team.  The part of the role I enjoy the most is being a relationship lead, working with a range of partners Sport England fund through our Uniting the Movement Strategy to tackle inequalities for disabled people in sport and physical activity.  

Sport England have made significant investment into a range of disability partners in England to engage more disabled people in physical activity, addressing gaps in participation and promoting innovation.  

These disability partners work with a range of existing partners and organisations across sport, health and voluntary sectors on a national and local level to support them to engage and include disabled people in sport and physical activity.  They also work directly with the communities they support to provide a range of sport and physical activity opportunities and events.  

There is much to do to level the playing field for disabled people. Our latest Active Lives Adults data (published April 2024) tells us that disabled people or those with long-term health condition are less likely to be active than non-disabled people (48% of those with an impairment, compared to 69% of those without.) 

While data from Activity Alliance’s 2023-24 Annual Disability and Activity survey shows 43% of disabled people feel they have the chance to be as active as they would like to be compared to 69% of non-disabled people. 

Why must we be careful when celebrating success at the Paralympics? 

The publicity and media reporting around the Games has increased significantly, which of course is very positive. Increased awareness of the games provides role models and is a platform to showcase disabled people excelling in a range of ways: As elite athletes, as performers in the arts and in media roles, as some key examples. 

However, the narrative of the publicity and the nature of celebration of Paralympians is important.  It is not about being superhuman, brave, or overcoming a disability. This can be offensive to disabled people and re-in force unhelpful stereotypes.  I personally remember reading an article about myself in a local newspaper many years ago.  It read: ‘Brave Esther, who suffers with Cerebral Palsy overcomes all the odds to be selected for…’ 

I was disappointed about the narrative they had used. I was an elite athlete and wanted to be seen as such.  The Paralympics is about celebrating performance first and foremost and is a showcase of excellence.   

Paralympic sport is sport at the highest level. The highs, lows and near misses – it leaves you ‘on the edge of your seat’.