‘It is vital to show people what they can achieve...’
Lydia Whitfield finds how Sara has overcome illness to be a sporting star
BEFORE 27-year-old Sara Head became confined to a wheelchair 11 years ago, she avoided sport as much as she could. Now a champion athlete in table tennis, she is going from strength to strength and can’t believe sport hasn’t always been a part of her life.
Sara, from Beddau, Pontypridd, says: “I lost use of my legs through illness when I had a virus 11 years ago. I hated sport before I was in a wheelchair. I was a girly girl and would check if the teacher was looking, before walking round the hurdles in school! But it’s been a different outlet for me now.
“Before table tennis, I played wheelchair basketball. I had become interested from having a development officer coming into Beddau’s Bryncelynnog High School, where I was a pupil. My boyfriend at the time played, so I did that for nearly four years and had some sneaky lessons so I could get better than him before he retired, because he had thrashed me before that! Initially, people would take the ball off me in basketball, but I soon learnt to give them a few back.
“With table tennis, I really enjoyed the new challenge because I didn’t really know about other sports until he told me about it.”
Sara belongs to the Welsh Paraplegic Tetraplegic Sports Association (WPTSA), and is currently ranked number one in Wales and Great Britain in her disability class.
She trains five or six days a week from 9.30am, sometimes until 7.30pm at the Wales Institute of Sport and is currently waiting for a wildcard for Beijing Paralympic Games, or hopes to go in a reserve position.
She is one of Britain’s top Paralympic athletes, having competed in two Commonwealth Games events in Manchester and Melbourne, and European and World Championships.
Sara, who lives in Beddau with her parents Sue and Mervyn, laughs: “We’re not a sporty family at all.
“My parents come and watch me as much as they can. My coach Jim Munkley and his wife Chris are always there. He’s taught me so much. He’s a world-class performer and tries to help me achieve what he’s achieved, which is to go to the Paralympics.
“Highlights so far have been winning numerous medals in the last few years, which has felt really good. And I’ve been able to do loads of travelling.
“Before I was in a wheelchair, I wanted to work with children. I wasn’t sporty at all, but have always enjoyed being a caring kind of person. I was doing my GCSEs, so it was quite early to really decide on a career, but it’s what I had in mind. I have to think the illness closed doors, but it opened others too and I’ve enjoyed all the new things.”
Sara also has a sister, Elisa, 26, and when she’s not at the table, she enjoys catching up with friends and family, including her young niece, reading, shopping and listening to music.
She also goes to Sheffield every month to the Great Britain training camp and spends any other spare time promoting and raising the awareness of disabled sport.
She delivered a debrief of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne to the National Assembly. Sara helps and gives advice to patients at Rookwood Hospital, Cardiff, who are coming to terms with their disabilities. She says: “It’s important for me to go and see people who have suffered injuries and show them what they can still achieve.
“I haven’t got a table at home, because there’s not enough room at the moment, but my little niece enjoys throwing the balls around for me.
“We’ve got five dogs and the Lurcher, Jilly, managed to get past the zip on my bag and ate my luckiest table tennis bat. I keep all my bats in a case in the car – anywhere where the dog can’t get them!
“My only other lucky charm is my pink wrist band. I’ve had it since Budapest 2005. I had a bit of a panic attack when I thought I had lost it once!
“As far as routines go before a match, all I really do is listen to my music. I sometimes choose something to relax to, if I’m getting nervous, or something to get me going. Before the Irish Open, I chose Mika’s Grace Kelly to get me going. It’s upbeat, but everyone had to listen to me singing along, unfortunately!
“Getting my sleep before a competition is really important and making sure my equipment is up to standard. And, of course, my passport is crucial!
“I hear on Friday whether or not I get a wild card. The process is all quite complicated. I had a shoulder injury last year, when I went for a short ball and landed awkwardly. That is why I’m in this position really.”
Sara travelled to Slovenia earlier last year, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s team event, and will revisit for the Slovenian Open Championship from April to May 4.
Sara receives sponsorship from the Federation of Disability Sport Wales (FDSW) and her sporty £3,000 wheelchair can be very expensive to maintain. She says: “I get a development grant from UK Sport and that pays for competitions. I try to eat sensibly, because the more weight I put on, the less balls I can reach.
“Movement is crucial to my recovery. You can’t afford to lose concentration in table tennis. You’ve got to have plenty of stamina. In some competitions, you can sometimes play nine hours in a row. It can be hard, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m just always looking forward to my next challenge.”
Mar 18 2008 by Lydia Whitfield, South Wales Echo
