Danielle Brown Looks Forward to Home Paralympics

It’s unlikely anyone has ever used the term ‘half-hearted’ when referring to Great Britain archer Danielle Brown. Her list of achievements is impressive – already a world champion, Paralympic gold medallist and university law graduate (with a first for good measure) she can now add Commonwealth Games gold medallist to her resume since returning victorious from Delhi last month.

Not bad going for any 22 year-old, but considering Brown suffers from chronic regional pain syndrome, a disease so painful it restricts her from doing things we all take for granted, like standing for any length of time, her ability to reach the pinnacle of both her sport and studies is incredible.

As a result, her triumph as part of the women’s compound team at the Delhi Games has been widely reported for more than just the success, as the media latched onto the fact she was a disabled sportswoman competing in an able bodied event. But for Brown, who sits on a stool when shooting, competing in the able-bodied events is normal in domestic competitions and she doesn’t believe she should be singled out for special recognition.

‘I’ve had a lot of media surrounding me going to the Commonwealths in the able-bodied. Everybody kept talking about this boundary I got over and I couldn’t understand what they’re on about. I realised what it is, but I’m doing something that is well within my capabilities.

‘Domestically I shoot with able bodied people. That’s one of the reasons I love archery, you can do it on an equal playing field.’

Brown was not the only British disabled athlete competing at the able-bodied Commonwealth Games with cyclist Sarah Storey also in the team, and she believes the interest surrounding her performances is due to the difference between the public’s awareness of disabled people’s capabilities and the reality of what is possible.
‘The boundary that I’ve found is more people’s perception of disability, and they seem to think I can’t do it because I’m disabled. So I think it’s important to realize that just because somebody is disabled doesn’t mean they’re incapable of doing it.’

Despite her claims Brown does not have it easy, but she claims her disability and archery complement each other and she has learned to block out the pain when she needs.

‘In a way my archery kind of helps with that because it is sort of a distraction, especially when I’m competing, getting that adrenalin rush. The pain’s still there but it’s in the background because I’m not concentrating on it.

‘I’ve got strategies to deal with my shooting, switch on and off. In a way my disability has helped in that sense but my archery helps with my disability.’

At the age of 16 Brown was diagnosed with chronic regional pain syndrome, an illness for which there is no cure and which she has suffered since she was 11 years old. An avid sports enthusiast from a young age, Brown was encouraged by her ‘asbolute lunatic’ father who shared his passion for fell running, mountain walks and cycling with his daughter.

‘We always did family activities,’ Brown said. ‘What happened was when I became disabled my family tried to find different things I could do so they bought a big open-water canoe.’

But Brown wanted to try archery and her desire eventually led to the rest of the family also taking up the sport.

Such single-mindedness is evident throughout her career and she claims to only recently have ‘discovered what a TV is’ since her Games triumph and graduation from Leicester University. But she is not resting on her laurels and firmly has the London 2012 Paralympics in her sights as she has left her friends and family by moving to the National Training Centre in Shropshire to focus on winning gold in two years’ time.

Her boyfriend, fellow disabled athlete Ali Jawad, has developed a gym program to strengthen her core muscles and she is training every day with her able-bodied counterparts.

‘I’m finding with the able-bodied team I’m getting more experience, which is making me stronger. They’re really fantastic people they’ve not treated me any differently because I’m in a chair,’ Brown said.

Although Brown says the London traffic frustrates her she is ‘really excited’ by the prospect of a home Paralympics and the prospect of more gold medals.
‘Obviously, I want to do the very best I can. Everybody’s going to be going to 2012 with their eye on the gold medal, there’s no point turning up if you don’t want it. Everybody’s going to fight for it, I’ve moved to National Training Centre to give myself the best chance.’

Given her track record you wouldn’t bet against her.

Danielle Brown was appearing for the launch of the Gold Challenge.

Gold Challenge - the official mass participation legacy initiative for London 2012  Olympic and Paralympic Games, at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.  Gold Challenge aims to harness the inspiration of the 2012 Games to motivate people in the UK to take up as many Olympic and Paralympic sports as they can and raise millions of pounds for charity.