A Race against Odds

By Gargi and Mary

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.
This is the inspiring story of a lady who, despite being differently-abled, is a member of the English team for the Common Wealth Games Delhi 2010.

Sarah Joanne Storey was born with a deformed hand on October 26, 1977 in Manchester in England. But that did not deter her from dreaming high and climbing the ladder of success.
At the age of 14 she began her Paralympics career as a swimmer, winning two gold, three silvers and a bronze in Barcelona. Her successful journey in Paralympics continued for over a decade.

Then she took a major decision that not many would ever even dream about. She switched over to cycling in 2005. She is one of the few modern athletes to make a successful transition between sports. Since then she won many titles and accolades.

Though differently-abled, she never gave up her dream of becoming a world champion. She has now competed against able-bodied athletes and won the 3-km national track pursuit championship in 2008. Sarah was a nominee for the 2008 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

Now she is in Delhi not to compete with differently-abled persons, but to contest against able-bodied athletes. In fact, she would be the first disabled cyclist to compete for England, against fully able-bodied athletes.

In an interview, Sarah said that she was mentally and physically strong and enjoyed the pain of pushing herself. Sarah has proved that “A champion is one who gets up even when he can’t”.