Photo by Philip Hughes
Find out more about Scottish Disability Sport Week
It’s Scottish Disability Sport Week and we will be highlighting some of the athletes, clubs and programmes at the forefront of inclusion within our sport.
The week-long campaign aims to encourage people with disabilities to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them.
Today we look at a remarkable story from Lochaber AC . . .
Ashley MacDonald, Lochaber AC Runner/Hill Runner
Background
Ashley is a senior athlete at Lochaber AC with cerebral palsy.
She joined the club nearly five years ago and is a member of the committee. She is also currently going through the Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification so she can lead sessions and is the Women’s Captain for the club.
Ashley took up running after her former boss encouraged her to try parkrun as she was instrumental in the set-up and running of this in 2018. She started running the weekly 5km route before joining a jogscotland group.
Eventually, looking for a new challenge, she joined Lochaber AC. The club’s training takes place on the roads and hills and Ashley trains with them every Tuesday, complementing her training with runs on her own two-three days a week.
To celebrate a milestone birthday next year, she is currently training for a marathon and is also taking part in the Ben Nevis race this year for the second time.
Ashley spoke to scottishathletics about how welcoming and supportive the club are.
Routes/training sessions are adapted for her where required, but it is always done with discretion. She has credited running with an increase in her self-confidence and an improvement with her anxiety.
Photo by John O’Neill
Ashley’s story . . .
Running was never something I thought I would love.
I always hated it in school (the dreaded beep test always gave me the fear) but all that changed.
As I write this, I still see myself as quite new to running even after nearly five years with the club, the Lochaber AC Winter League being my first experience of racing. There are ten races throughout the winter months with five to complete the league. Or, if you are slightly mad like me, you can do all ten!
What I didn’t mention is I have Cerebral Palsy and it affects my left side, affecting my balance, causing me to trip up and fall sometimes. This makes walking challenging, let alone running.
I started running…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at Scottish Athletics…