At just 14 years old, Australian track and field athlete Tamsin Colley was competing on a world stage at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro. It was a cumulation of an unbelievable eight years of training, beginning with swimming and athletics carnivals from when she was six years old. The Sydneysider had developed an interest in sports at a young age after having a brain tumour removed when she was just 18 months old.
“The surgery left me with Ataxic cerebral palsy that affects all four of my limbs and is worse on my right side. I used a wheelchair and walker until I was five years old and had a lot of intensive therapy up until primary school with some ongoing appointments to this day,” she explains.
Luckily, her mother had a background as a physiotherapist and was always on the lookout for ways to keep the young athlete active to help improve her abilities and her range of movement. It was an opportunity that wasn’t lost on Colley.
“I was lucky enough to get the chance to participate in sport from a young age and my ultimate goal in life is to help other people with disabilities receive the same opportunities,” she says.
As an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Sport and Recreation Association. Image: supplied.
That’s part of the reason Colley, now 19, is partnering with inclusive clothing brand EveryHuman to promote International Day of People with Disabilities this week.
“I hope the International Day of People with Disabilities will raise awareness and help celebrate some of the amazing things people with disabilities are capable of,” she says. “And I love that EveryHuman are making a difference too because one small change such as having zippers on shoes can make our lives much easier! It’s hard to find quality clothes that are easy to get on.”
This message of celebration and understanding the capabilities of those living with a disability is something Colley feels can be lost sometimes.
“The most important thing to keep in mind about people living with a disability is that we know our own limits and can make decisions for ourselves,” she says. “Some of us may need extra assistance if we ask for it but there is nothing more offensive to someone with a disability than other people assuming that their disability means that they can’t do something! We are all human and deserve to be included and given the opportunity to live our best life just like everyone else.”
With her idol Louise Sauvage. Image: Supplied.
Colley sat down with Women’s Health to chat about the misconceptions surrounding para-athletes, the one lesson every Australian should learn about people with disabilities, and what she’s training for right now.
When did you realise you had an extraordinary ability in athletics?
“I began to specialise in athletics, and when I was in year eight I qualified to compete at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Since then, I’ve competed in several other international competitions and won some medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x 100m relay.”
Why do you think you gravitated towards your sport?
“I love athletics because I enjoy the challenge of pushing my limits and showing myself and others what I am capable of! I hope that with more para-sport events being televised, I can inspire other people with disabilities to not let their disability prevent them from participating in sport.”
What do you feel is a common misconception about the Paralympics?
“Some people think the Paralympics is a participation event that all para-athletes can compete at. The word Paralympics actually comes from the Greek preposition ‘para’, meaning alongside because it runs alongside the Olympics every four years. It is the pinnacle of sport for people with a disability, which requires an equal level of dedication and commitment to training as Olympians put in to get the chance to compete at. Due to tight funding, the Paralympic team is often half the size as the Olympic team and there are over 30 different classifications so not every event is run for every disability. Thus, there is limited space on the team, and it is extremely difficult to qualify and get selected. At the very least, Paralympians deserve equal credit to Olympians and massive leaps have been taken recently with equal prize money being allocated to both events. However, more effort needs to be taken to make sure funding and recognition, such as sponsorship, is fair for para-athletes compared to able-bodied athletes at all levels of sport.”
What is one thing you’d like every Australian to learn on the International Day of People with Disabilities?
“It’d be that we are all human and trying our best to reach our goals in this world. Having a disability doesn’t make us ‘special’, it is what we do with our ability and how we react to challenges life throws at us that counts. The day is also about spreading awareness of all kinds of disabilities, for example, you shouldn’t assume that people with disabilities who aren’t in a wheelchair have an intellectual disability. With that in mind, it’s also important to remember that people with disabilities can succeed in school and the workplace. I have just come first in my year for biology and PDHPE, proving people wrong who thought that I couldn’t succeed in school because of my disability.”
Do you receive a salary or financial compensation to compete?
“I don’t get paid any salary to compete, and currently I am heavily reliant on my parents for funding competition expenses, such as travelling. I honestly do not know how I will be able to do all the things I do now to compete at qualifying meets interstate with the level of funding I get now.”
Do you feel male athletes in your sport have an advantage?
“Male para-athletes get a bit more recognition than female athletes, but generally it is still substantially less than what able-bodied athletes and athletes in team sports get. There are also more events for males than females in the Paralympics, but this is becoming more equal, and it is essential to keep striving for equity so we can make sport as fair as possible and give everyone the chance to fulfil their dreams!”
What would you say is your biggest sporting achievement so far?
“Definitely competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympics at age 14, making me the youngest ever Australian track and field paralympian! I have a few proudest moments in my sporting career; another highlight was winning two silver medals at the 2017 World Junior Para-Athletics Championships after a speedy recovery from a fractured ankle the year before. I also can’t forget to mention receiving video messages from Sally Pearson after making the final in my second major international competition at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. Of course, relighting the Cauldron for the Sydney 2000 twentieth-year anniversary was also an incredibly proud moment. I was honoured to be chosen to represent the future of the Paralympics. I also met one of my idols, Louise Sauvage, who lit the Paralympic Cauldron originally, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading her biography in my limited spare time!”
What is your next goal? What are you training for right now?
“I am currently training for the Para-Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan, next year, but my next goal is qualifying for the World Championships after I missed qualification for the Tokyo Paralympics by 0.16 seconds due to some injuries. I am working hard to get my 200m time down to qualify for that and hopefully medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. I also have just finished Year 12 and hope to get in to Exercise Physiology at UNSW, so I can learn further skills that will assist me to help other people with disabilities get involved and experience the health and well-being benefits of sport! As well as this, I am hoping to use my role as an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Sport and Recreation Association to further increase participation in sport for people with cerebral palsy.”
