Who am I?

I’m Chloe a PhD student at the University of Hull looking at the geomorphic impact of Natural Flood Management (NFM). I am also part of the University of Hull Wheelchair Basketball Team and the President of the Team for the 21/22 Academic year.

Why have I set this up?

So, this is really quite a long story and starts in 2006! A short version is that I dislocated my right knee and had to have it reconstructed, then I’ve had my pelvis reconstructed so I am literally titanium woman (Take that Iron Man!). 15 years on I am still in pain, struggle with walking and I’m constantly in and out of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in London with more operations planned. My list of diagnosis’s is ridiculously long but are as follows: rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud’s disease, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, nerve damage, brachial plexus injury, EDS, POTS. The list of medications I take has me sounding like a tube of smarties!

As a result of the above I haven’t been able to participate in sports that I really enjoy for quite a while, I didn’t even partake in PE, instead I took on coaching. Don’t get me wrong coaching is amazing but it isn’t quite the same as actively playing. I have also struggled with my mental health and there are so many studies that show exercise can really help improve mental health.

During a 4-week inpatient pain management and rehabilitation programme at the RNOH in February 2020 I got to experience some “adaptive sports” which meant siting down badminton and table tennis, which I really didn’t enjoy. At the end of the programme I had to make some aims and one of mine was try some new sports. In September 2020 I found out that the University of Hull had a wheelchair basketball team and they were putting on a trial session, so I went along with no expectations. Turns out it was the best experience I have had with sport for such a long time.

I have been playing with the University of Hull wheelchair basketball team since September 2020 but because of multiple lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions there has not been any team training since the end of October. Instead I have taken a club chair to practice with at home. Practice has been hit and miss over the winter months with wet and cold weather and with many outdoor courts shut in line with restrictions. I had been using an empty carpark to train in, however, with the lifting of restrictions hopefully we can get back to training as a team soon.

The club chair I have been using is quite old and a little bit rickety and is being held together with bits of duct tape. It also doesn’t fit me well, which has made playing a little harder and with no side guards so my lockdown hips rub on the wheels. The chair has also had some DIY adaptions to make the backrest higher so I don’t fall out or over!

Sports wheelchairs should really be specific to the player and as I really want to keep playing, I’ve decided it is time to start fundraising for my very own basketball wheelchair. For those that don’t know they are around £5000 and should last a lifetime – depending on how many bumps you get into…

I would love to be able to play in an actual game of wheelchair basketball against another team (fingers crossed for Uni Champs!) and I hope to be able to join my local women’s league too.

I have already been raising some money though selling my unwanted items and clothes and accessories. My target amount is £4000 so please if anyone can donate I will be so grateful!