Twenty six year old Joanna Robertson has been competing in wheelchair racing for four years. She primarily competes in long distance events such as the marathon.
In 2019 I was involved in a car accident that caused a spinal cord injury, paralysing me from the waist down. I was in Glasgow Spinal Unit for six months, during that time my physiotherapist told me of the sport wheelchair racing. She introduced me to Samantha Kinghorn who she had helped when she was first injured as well. After a discussion with Samantha I felt inspired then to take up the sport.
Aberdeen AAAC.
My biggest challenge was getting started. Wheelchair racers are not easy to get. They are all custom made and highly expensive. Thankfully Scottish Disability Sport helped guide me to finding funding and support to get my race chair. This was all down during the Covid pandemic which made it all the more difficult.
My goals are to get PBs in all track and road events. I want to better myself in this sport and give my all to compete at the commonwealth games in Glasgow.
My training program is now tailored more so for the track, to increase my cadence and improve performance. It is tricky to manage a busy training schedule with daily life, however keeping open communication with my coach helps to maintain it all.
Although it isn’t always considered a skill, I’m stubborn. I’m committed to my sport and know I will work hard to make my ambitions happen. I’m also good in time management which is great especially when managing a busy schedule.
Quite a lot. My current aims are on Sydney 10k and Dubai Grand Prix.
I once popped my kneecap while travelling which stopped me from getting into the race chair. To get around this I began handcycling. It really grew on me and gave me more insight to how I can add to my training in future.
Tanni Grey-Thompson. She has a remarkable history in sport and has achieved so much.
Finishing my first marathon. It was the 2023 London Marathon, I had never done such a long distance before and it was a huge achievement.
Thinking of the big picture. I like to remind myself when times get hard to think of why I’m doing this sport and what my goals are.
Seek out advice from those who have years of experience in the sport.
It will help me to achieve my goal of commonwealth by opening the doors of the facilities nearby, giving me that financial freedom and support.
Instagram: joannalrobertson