Disability should never be a barrier to pursuing the activities, interests, and ambitions that bring joy, purpose, and fulfilment.

We spoke to three fitness enthusiasts - all speakers at Naidex South - who embody that belief. Below, they discuss the challenges they’ve overcome, the support and adaptations that enable their participation, the impact that following their passions has had on their confidence and wellbeing, and the advice they’d offer to other disabled people who dream of pursuing a sporting hobby or career.

On the panel

Sophie Butler: In July 2017, an accident at the gym left Sophie paralysed from the waist down. As she learned to use a wheelchair, she began sharing her story online and quickly built a large following on social media. Since then, she has rediscovered her love of fitness and has even expanded her routine beyond the gym to include major endurance challenges such as the London Marathon.

Isaac Harvey: Isaac Harvey MBE is a disability advocate, content creator, and adrenaline junkie who celebrates life with, in his words, “no arms and short legs”. From skiing and skydiving to modelling the London Fashion Week runway in an electric wheelchair, Isaac proves that disability doesn't limit ambition.

Stephanie Quintrell: Stephanie is a para-equestrian and adventurer. In 2023 she became the world's first wheelchair dependent person to ride by horseback across the Pyrenees Mountains from France to Spain, using the World War 2 freedom trails. Next year, she will take on the challenge of another world's first when she tackles the Andes by horseback, from Argentina to Chile.

What inspired you to get involved in sport and take part in major events?

Sophie: I got into weightlifting when I was 19, before I became disabled, and I continued that journey after my accident. It wasn’t until last year that I decided to do the London Marathon and try endurance sports for the first time, and I Just fell in love with it. I love the structure of the training and the mental fortitude that comes from covering such long distances. 

Isaac: A lot of my inspiration comes from my time at school. I went to a secondary school that catered for young people with disabilities. When it came to PE, most of my teachers would find ways of making sure I could be included rather than sitting on the sidelines.

We also took part in the Panathlon Games - sporting competitions that give young people with disabilities and those with additional needs the chance to represent their school and compete against other schools. I remember really enjoying that feeling of being part of something bigger.

I think this experience, mixed with the fact that I've always been quite adventurous, made me want to see what else was out there. Over the years, that has led to me doing things like a skydive, sailing on a tall ship and adaptive skiing.

Stephanie: Horse riding has played a huge part in my life since I was a child, but when I became disabled seven years ago, this was suddenly something I was unable to do. I had around two years out of the saddle whilst we worked hard to stabilise my health.

Initially, I had no great ambitions for riding – I simply wanted to be doing something that felt like ‘me’ again. However, as my strength grew, so did a passion and determination inside me and I realised I wanted to be competitive again. When I am riding, I have an independence that I don’t otherwise have in life and I feel totally free. 

What have been the three biggest barriers you have faced when pursuing sporting activities as a disabled person?

⁠Sophie: Two of the most obvious barriers have been accessibility in gyms and issues with my wheelchair. Repeated faults with my wheelchair have resulted in long stretches of time where I haven’t been able to train, or my training has been significantly affected. The third barrier is hate from other people, largely online, in the fitness space. I have received large amounts of ableism and body shaming over the years that made fitness a really unwelcoming space for me. 

Isaac: The first one is simply knowing what is out there. If it wasn't for my school introducing me to different sports when I was younger, I'm not sure I would have known where to start. I think local authorities and other organisations could be much better at making people with disabilities aware of what is available to them.

The second is location. Some of the accessible activities I've wanted to do haven't been anywhere near home. I've travelled around the UK and abroad for different opportunities, but that isn't possible for everybody.

The third is probably that something being described as "accessible" doesn't necessarily mean it will work for every disabled person. I've enquired about activities before and been told they couldn't accommodate my particular disability or wheelchair.

Stephanie: The cost of adaptive equipment, lack of wheelchair access at venues and a reluctance for organisations to open themselves to disabled people taking part due to increased risks and/or insurance costs. 

How have you overcome those barriers?

Sophie: It’s about learning how to do more with less equipment. That’s involved creating dumbbell-only workouts, getting more out of the cable machine and thinking outside the box. Overcoming people’s hatred has been much harder, and the only thing I can do is remind myself that I deserve to be in the fitness space that I love, to seek out and create communities that support my journey and to show other disabled people that they also deserve to be here too.

Isaac: For me, a lot of it has been about asking questions and following opportunities. A while ago, a friend told me about accessible sailing in my local area, so I contacted them. After explaining my disability and describing my wheelchair, they told me they couldn't accommodate me. But instead of just saying no, they suggested another organisation - the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

By chance, they had a challenge coming up with Barclays and offered me a place on one of their tall ships. The ships were designed so those with disabilities and people without could sail together, as part of the crew. When I look back, quite a lot of my life has happened like that - one conversation leads to another person, which leads to another opportunity.

Stephanie: I am fortunate to have a great support network around me who are there every step of the way, encouraging me and cheering me on. They do not see barriers as something to stop me, but simply something I need to overcome. A good support network is worth more than anything else.  

What impact has pursuing your sporting ambitions had on your confidence and wellbeing?

Sophie: Being involved in sport and fitness has made me more confident after trauma and helped me learn to trust my body to do what it needs to do and live as a disabled woman. I’m able to go out and do more and have less anxiety around trying new things, and this has opened so many more doors for me. 

Isaac: I think it's made me much more open to trying things without judging whether I'm going to like them before I've even started. There are things I've done that I probably wouldn't have imagined myself doing years ago. Sport and adventure have given me a way of exploring what is out there and working out what I enjoy.

It has also introduced me to some brilliant people and communities. Wheels and Wheelchairs [a London-based group of wheelchair users and skaters who enjoy accessible skating together] is probably the biggest example of that for me. It isn't just about the skating anymore. It's the people, the experiences we've shared and this slightly strange habit we've developed of taking on bigger challenges together.

Stephanie: I can honestly say that if I didn’t have my horses, I don’t know where I would be, and if I didn’t have a goal to be working towards, I don’t think I would be able to find the strength and determination to get up each day and keep pressing forward. It would be very easy to sit back and give up when my health feels unmanageable and my disability feels overwhelming. But having something to work towards gives me a reason to keep fighting, to keep pushing on and to keep showing up every day.

 
What advice would you give to disabled people who would like to pursue a sporting hobby or career but feel unsure or afraid to start?

Sophie: One thing I would say is allow yourself to be bad at something - be a beginner. When I first started marathon training, I was really slow and the distance felt almost impossible. But I kept chipping away at the challenge at my own speed and in my own adapted way because I knew there was no shame in being a novice. It can be hard when you’re trying something new as a disabled person, but there’s power in being the underdog.

Isaac: You don't really know until you try. There are so many different sports, adaptations and technologies available now that there may be a way of participating that you've never even heard of. That doesn't mean absolutely everything will be accessible to everybody, but I wouldn't rule something out before asking the question. I'd start by seeing what's happening locally, speaking to others within the community and just being curious about what's available.

Events like the Naidex Roadshow are really useful for meeting new people, having a conversation and finding out about something I didn't know existed. You don't have to start by running a marathon or sailing across the sea. Just find something that sounds interesting and give it a go.

Stephanie: Reach out to those who could help. Whether that’s a person, an organisation or a community, find support to help you pursue your ambitions. And the thing that is most important – don’t give up. If you want something enough, you will find a way to do it, however hard it is to start with. It will be worth it in the end.