Let's go back to the beginning of the pandemic, wherein all honesty I didn’t miss playing basketball week in, week out. I was starting to burn out from trying to balance university and training, I had very little motivation and needed a break away from basketball. That being said, lockdown soon made me appreciate basketball and my teammates a whole lot more.

I moved back in with my parents at the start of lockdown and I truly valued the extra time I got to spend with them. Once home, I took a few weeks off from training just because I needed it. BWB (British Wheelchair Basketball) were very good at allowing individuals to go at their own pace and didn’t force us to train if we didn’t feel up to it. However, I quickly started to miss exercising, so began joining in with a few sessions each week. Having control over my sessions was really beneficial because I was responsible for getting everything done. Although it was hard as a disabled athlete to find alternative ways to stay active without gym equipment or a sports hall; but this is what kept me motivated to try new things such as circuit sessions, virtual Invictus Active Trainer workouts, and utilising the outdoor courts. I even got my Dad involved in a few of the sessions, which was great fun!

Another form of motivation for me is staying positive. There are so many negative things in life and the media doesn’t help the situation. So it’s easy to feel like having a negative mindset is the easiest option, when positivity is nowhere to be seen. But there is, you just have to look for it. Even the smallest things, such as food, a roof over my head, and a loving family are things to be grateful for. Now that we’re training as well, I am so thankful for BWB for encouraging and allowing us to work on becoming better basketball players. The coaches are really positive as well and continually remind me of how much I’ve improved since September, making you instantly feel better about yourself.