Disability in sport: doing it our way

Camilla Swift talks to three country sports enthusiasts who are not letting their disabilities get in the way of their passions in this article from My Countryside magazine.

Growing up in France, Jean-Paul Gaudin, was surrounded by shooting. After picking up his first gun as a teenager, he shot both game and clays, but other passions overtook shooting in his list of priorities. However, in 1998, a motorbike accident left him with severe spinal injuries and dependent on a wheelchair. When his now-wife convinced him to take her to a clay ground Jean-Paul's shooting addiction was reignited.

His newfound love of shooting then led to the question of game shooting, but he wasn't sure whether it would be possible in his wheelchair. With the support of his wife, he took the plunge and has now visited shoots all over the UK. In 2019, Jean-Paul launched his brand The Seated Gun, through which he promotes mobility-impaired shooting via his website, social media and YouTube. In May this year he was announced as an ambassador for cartridge manufacturer Eley Hawk.

As well as offering advice to shooters, The Seated Gun offers brand awareness, brand partnerships and consultancy to aid shoots and clay grounds to make their facilities more user friendly. "The main aim of the brand is to raise awareness of the sport and its inclusivity," says Jean-Paul.

He knows from experience that starting out as a disabled shooter can be intimidating but argues that it needn't be. "I appreciate there are natural obstacles with game shooting, but with the right planning and understanding, anything is possible."

The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association works closely with the Disabled Shooters Group (DSG), which arranges and promotes shooting within the disabled community, whilst the Alliance is also supportive of their work and encourages wide participation wherever possible.

"It's important to ensure that everybody is given a chance to have a go and any opportunity we have to support that, we will," says James Aris, Shooting Campaign Manager at the Countryside Alliance.

Paul Rendell is on the DSG committee and explains the group's membership numbers are growing year on year. They hope that para clay target shooting could become part of the Paralympics from 2024, which would raise the visibility of the sport. "There is such a variety of different shooting disciplines and many of them are perfect for people with disabilities, but it depends on your disability and level of movement. Certain shooting grounds just can't cope with wheelchairs because of the terrain. With rifle shooting and pistol shooting, a lot of that is done indoors, which makes it more accessible."

The DSG is also working on creating an interactive map of the country to show which shooting grounds are wheelchair accessible and what facilities are available. "We don't want to hide in a corner," says Paul. "Disabled shooters are allowed to go into all the major competitions, even the World Championships. In some instances, people with disabilities have outshone those who are able-bodied. It's not necessarily a disadvantage."

Being a gun is just one of many roles on a shoot day. Georgina Bailey, 18, grew up surrounded by working dogs and pet sheep due to her father's job as a gamekeeper on the Derbyshire moors. At 18 months old, she was diagnosed with right side cerebral palsy, which means that she can't walk normally, struggles with coordination and gets tired easily. "I crab over to the right, my balance is out and I often end up tripping over," she says. She also has epilepsy, caused by a stroke before she was born.

This hasn't stopped Georgina helping her father with his work in the holidays. "I'd go up on the moors with him on the Argocat and he'd teach me about the work that goes into looking after the moor, along with the challenges keepers can face – whether that's from bad weather during nesting time or wildfires in summer. In the run-up to shoot days I'd also get involved in getting the grouse butts ready."

At 12 she did her first season helping out on the shoot and has worked every year since on various shoots, earning pocket money while doing something she loves at the same time. "All the shoots I've been on have been super accommodating for my disability," says Georgina. "I always give everything a try, and if I can't do something the 'normal way', I try to find a solution to the problem." She also takes a dog with her, so if walking gets too tough they can help her along and sense for holes. The social aspect of shoot days is also very important to Georgina. "It definitely helped me be happier talking to people I don't know."

Georgina has also ridden since she was three, something her doctors recommended to help with her balance, taking part in Pony Club camps and rallies when she was younger. She would love to hunt her pony, Jake. "Push your limits and you might surprise yourself," she advises. "People ask me how I cope, and I always tell them that I don't let my disability affect my day-to-day life. I ride my horse and walk the dogs and all the other daily activities; I just might deal with certain challenges in a different way."

This determined attitude has also helped disabled rider Lucilla Paull continue hunting, despite being confined to a wheelchair as a result of symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) during pregnancy. You can find her out with her local hunt in Leicestershire twice a week if she possibly can. "I am well known in the area as a bit of a 'nutter' – but I take that as a compliment," she smiles. When she was first discharged from Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Lucilla initially wanted to continue competing on her horses, but the powers that be were far from welcoming. Happily, the hunting community is totally different. "After becoming fully disabled I continued to be embraced and treated as an equal rather than a problem.

"I won't lie, it's not easy. To get me out hunting requires meticulous planning, huge levels of organisation, lots of support from my husband and kids, plus help from my friend Katie-Ann. Riding is incredibly painful for me, and generally speaking I rest the day before hunting and am in bed from the moment I get back for at least 24 hours." Lucilla also has to increase her pain relief and uses a few aids including a memory foam seat saver to reduce spinal compression and two bits of Velcro between her leg and saddle to keep her 'flappy leg' still.

But the benefits far outweigh the downsides. "My horses become my working legs, and I get to go to places I could never see otherwise. I experience sights and smells that are generally impossible for people like me. I appreciate every second I am out hunting. I don't care whether I'm standing in a field taking in the incredible views or if I'm sailing over big hedges for the adrenaline rush. Out hunting, I am welcomed and treated as an equal, and I cannot tell you how important that feeling is as opposed to being ignored in my wheelchair."

The mental health benefits for Lucilla are also huge. "Having been left with chronic PTSD and anxiety, nothing beats hunting. For a few hours I can get away from the stresses and strains of everyday life and enjoy the sheer beauty of the countryside and the total, unconditional love I have for my two amazing horses, who will cross pretty much any country I throw at them. It's hard and you do need to find the right, supportive hunt, but hunting provides me with the freedom and thrill I thought I would never, ever feel again.

"If you find yourself in a position like mine it doesn't have to be the end of everything you love. All I can say is, give it a go and join me – I would love to see somebody else like me."

Image: Adrian Blackmore