The most important lesson I learned during my time in the Great Britain Rowing Squad was the power of the mind. Your mind can be your greatest supporter and greatest strength, however, it can also be the thing that sabotages you and stops you from achieving your goals.
My passion is helping others to maximise their strengths and minimise the sabotage; allowing them to perform at their peak. I do this through motivational speaking, group facilitation, one-on-one and group coaching.
Standing on the podium at the London 2012 Paralympic Games with the Gold Medal around my neck was, without a doubt, the most incredible and surreal moment of my life. It took 10 years of dedication, working in high-pressured performance environments, adapting to a huge variety of people and pushing my mind and body to its limits.
Since retiring from the Great Britain Paralympic Rowing Team in 2013, I have come to realise that whilst becoming a Paralympic Champion in 2012 was my greatest visible public reward, with a tangible and shining Gold medal; my greatest achievement was actually far more personal.
It was realising that what others saw as my disability, my ‘problem’ or my limitation, was the reason I was able to achieve all I did.
Yes, being a Paralympian automatically defines you as being disabled; but I believe it is your abilities that define what you achieve, not your disability.