Stephanie McAllister: Biography

My name is Stephanie McAllister and I am 36yrs old. I have been using a wheelchair for 16yrs now, following many operations on my back that unfortunately made my mobility worse each time. I first injured my back in a windsurfing accident after I tried to pull the rigging up against a head wind. Initially we thought I had pulled or tore a muscle in my back, but after 6 weeks of pelvic traction my left leg was developing paralysis and the surgeons wanted to remove a disc to alleviate this.

I had to learn to how to make my life rule my disability and not let my disability rule my life; so I took up a voluntary job working at Treloars College in Alton, for people with disabilities. There I found I really loved my sport again and learnt how to stop comparing disability sport against my previous competitive sports; once I accomplished this I found wheelchair basketball and trained with Force in Hounslow with Ade Adeptetan and Ian Laker. Ian was the first person I had dealings with in the private market of wheelchairs and he set me up with my first two chairs paid with money I had raised. I got an RGK Performance for my day chair and an RGK Quattro for my basketball.

I loved having sport in my life again and found that it actually took an active role as my respite from life's issues and my pain. When I am physically active I totally zone out of my pain and disability as I am so engrossed with what I am doing. Within a couple of months I felt it was time to teach myself how to swim again, but this time without the use of my legs and it was liberating. I had been swimming for 13 days when I was entered for my very first Swimming Gala and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I came away with 5 Gold medals and the Overall winner for ladies Trophy. I got more serious with my swimming and eventually started to travel to Winchester to train, which is an hour's journey each way. I trained alongside a couple of swimmers who were in the GB squad and set my goals and training on the Sydney 2000 Games.

I had been dating my husband for 1yr at the time and six weeks in to serious training for the BT Time Trials I found out I was pregnant; which we were so happy about. When I reached my 12th week of pregnancy my coach pointed out to me how my body seemed to be in more control in the water and after reviewing this and bearing this in mind over the next few weeks we too also noticed that my pain levels had reduced dramatically and I was definitely more active than I had been for years. The following month when I had my 2nd scan we learnt that Matthew was in the transverse position (laying sideways instead of head up or down) and seemed to be quite far back and was acting like a spinal fusion for me. I had no baby bump what so ever and I continued to train in swimming, but took a break from basketball because of the risk of injury in the not so gentle sport. Eventually I attended the BT time trials and I came away with 2 Silvers and 1 Gold (I was entered in four events). It was great and coach approached me and discussed putting me forward to see if I could get on the GB selection process, but I had to decline and explain that I was actually 8 months pregnant.

After I had my son I used to take him swimming every day from when he was 8 weeks old and taught him to do underwater swimming from day one; but we always knew that there was something wrong with our little man as he was such a well behaved baby but would sometimes scream in the middle of the night in apparent pain. We took him to a specialist and he was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type 3 and he had inherited it from me. That was the first I knew that I had the condition and it answered a lot of questions for me, all the injuries and dislocations. Since then I was determined that my son would not end up in a wheelchair like me and I really threw myself into my sport. I took up basketball again and competed regular and attended a couple of open training sessions with the women's GB team. I loved the game and my fitness level was the best it had ever been since my disability. I also got introduced to Athletics and really excelled in the throwing events (Discus, Javelin and Shot Putt). For my classification I was ranked 1st in the country for my Discus and Javelin and 2nd for the Shot Putt in 2007. I had attended the British Open Athletics Championship in Manchester and had my first taste of competing against athletes from other countries and thrived on the adrenalin. In 2008 I founded Team Colours UK, as sports team for people with disabilities in the UK and we competed in many different sporting events. We proved to be a formidable force on the DSE Interclub circuit and many of us competed in Regional and National competitions, including most of our junior athletes.

Last April I attended a Paralympic Talent day at Brunel University and I met Pasan, the GB Shooting coach and Team manager. I had a go at Air Pistol and he asked me to go along to Stoke Mandeville that weekend (two days later), to attend their monthly training session. I really enjoyed the training session and really got a buzz from the sport. I had always had a sporting career plan and agenda and shooting was on the list of sports to do when I could no longer compete in my throwing events and basketball as it took less of a strain on my body; but I have to say it hooked me in strongly and I now aim to get on the performance pathway in order to be selected for the GB shooting squad at the 2012 games in London. Currently I think that life is on track and I still compete in athletics along with shooting and find myself needing to decide whether or not I aim for the 2012 games with my throwing events or with the shooting and at present the shooting is definitely the avenue I wish to take; although I will compete to the highest level I can with my athletics until my body says enough

Two years ago my son took up disabled sports as he could not keep up with his peers at school and it was the best thing that we could have done for him. We have learnt that as much as I hoped he would never need the use of a wheelchair, I also know that inactivity breeds disability; so out of the two this is the route that we must go down, ensure his happiness. He is doing exceptionally well and when he attends the DSE or Wheelpower events, he is on a level par with children the same age as him and he doesn't have to be embarrassed by his pain.

Work wise, I was the sports advisor and spokesperson for Colours UK and I worked at the Mobility Roadshow for 3 consequetive years. Since then Colours UK has come under new management United Motion. For a while I was the spokesperson but life has moved on and at present I am not currently involved in what they are doing other than if people are asking for my advice on the Colours range of chairs. All of my work was on a voluntary basis as I want to make sure that people get the information they need in order to make the right decision on what chair and equipment they should go for, beit Colours or other manufacturers of wheelchairs. I am not interested in generated sales for particular companies, I have made it my goal in life to make a difference and make people aware of any information that can help them in their lives. I also like to make sure that people know what help is out there for people like myself or worse.

"For us, sport is our respite and it costs us nothing. What more could we ask for!"