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Name: |
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Isabel Newstead |
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Event: |
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Ladies Air Pistol |
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Date of Birth: |
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03 May 1955 |
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Interests: |
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Playing in a recorder ensemble, growing cacti |
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Perfect evening: |
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A quiet meal |
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Biggest high: |
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The Sydney games - the gold medal I won there was the hardest |
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Biggest low: |
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Falling out of my chair and breaking my hip the day before the opening ceremony of the Atlanta games |
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| What gave you inspiration to compete at a professional level? |
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| I deeply felt the instinct that I could be the best. |
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| How important is living an active lifestyle to you? |
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| It’s essential: Personal fitness helps with concentration and stress, as well as strength. |
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| At what age did you start to engage in sporting activities? |
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I was 10 when I started as an able-bodied swimmer, then at 20 as a disabled swimmer after being
injured at 19. |
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| How did you start engaging in sporting activities? |
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I started swimming for building up strength and conditioning after a long period in hospital following a
spinal cord injury. I had no intention at that time to compete beyond friendly local galas. Then, at one
such gala I was spotted by a paraplegic coach and invited to train seriously. |
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| What type of support did you have? |
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| Family and volunteers at the swimming club. |
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| What barriers or difficulties did you encounter? How did you overcome them? |
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Access to suitable buildings and changing rooms – often having to get dressed in the pool boiler room.
But I always tried hard to stay friends with people who could help at any level. |
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| Did you ever feel any type of intimidation throughout your life? |
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| No. |
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| What advice would you give to young disabled people thinking about taking the same route in life as you? |
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Look for paid work to support yourself and your sporting activities. It’s easier to recruit help
when people respect your efforts to be independent. |
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| How did you feel when you won your medal? |
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| Elated and relieved that all the hard work had paid off. |
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| Do you feel there are enough resources available to cater for people with disabilities? |
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Depends what you mean by resources – access to facilities has improved in recent years and it is
not unusual for disabled sports people to apply for grant aid alongside able-bodied athletes. |
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| What are your future plans? |
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| Beijing 2008. Then probably retirement and volunteer to help at London 2012 |
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We are sad to inform you that Isabel Newstead, one of Britain's most successful Paralympians, has died
at the age of 51 following an illness. Our sympathies go out to her husband John and to her family at
this time; she will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. |
