Christine Burke is an 18 year old woman with spina bifida (L 3-4 level) who is so totally into wheelchair sports that her email address is “gimpsportsgirl”!
Since age 10, she has been involved in sports, including basketball, tennis, swimming, track and field (shot put, discus, and javelin)--but she confesses that basketball is her favorite. She particularly enjoys competitive sports, but has also tried non-competitive water-skiing and snow skiing. Her love of sports began when she enrolled in an adaptive physical education program through the local spina bifida association. Her parents have always supported her involvement.
Christine estimates that she spends 10 hours weekly being physically active. In addition to sports, she uses her hand cycle in a nearby park and also has an arm ergometer (stationary bike) in her home. Physical activity, she says, makes her strong and fit, both mentally and physically. She credits her active lifestyle with helping her to learn time management skills, to develop friendships, and to become more independent, especially regarding travel. She also feels that physical activity helps her to manage stress, and has improved her skills at school.
Involvement in sports, Christine feels, is important to her self-identity and self-esteem. She does public speaking on disability issues and plans to include sports in her career plans. Right now she is beginning college on an athletic scholarship, noting that opportunities like this increase the perception of wheelchair sports as legitimate competitive sports.
For other wheelchair users wanting to become more active, she recommends finding others who also want to be physically active in order to make it more fun. She says firmly, “It’s worth it to make time for sports and physical activity!”