Levy

When Freya was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy she lost the ability to play football. By her own admission she could have gone down ‘a dark path’. However, Freya was able to make the transition to wheelchair basketball which meant she was able to keep active, engaged in sport, and feel part of a team. Consequently, her disability never got her down. Wheelchair basketball opened new opportunities for her and she has represented Team GB at an international level. Freya has since presented ideas to parliament to improve the links between the NHS and local disability sports organisations. She wants other people to realise that a diagnosis or physical impairment does not mean the end of a life of sport.

By improving communications between the NHS and disability sports organisations she hopes that people will benefit both physically and emotionally during their rehabilitation and beyond. She is also an ambassador for the children’s sport charity Panathlon, and regularly visits primary schools and events as a role model for young people. Her ambition is to show other people that a disability does not mean the end of opportunities in sport, and to raise the profile of disability sport.

As a result of MJYL leadership sessions Freya was featured on BBC Radio 5 Live and in The Guardian to discuss her struggles to play wheelchair basketball while homeless and the housing problem in the UK. This article has been shared over 5,000 times. As a result of communication with CAC and her local organizations support Freya has been continuing to work in schools and giving leadership talks to local youth. As a result of a Beyond Sport event Freya was able to present at the awards ceremony and take part as a key panellist in one of the disability sport sessions during the summit. Through participation in MJYL she will soon embark on a work experience placement at a global media partner.