Incapacity has lengthy been seen by way of a lens of limitation somewhat than potential. Society usually associates it with weak spot, dependency, and a scarcity of alternative, reinforcing outdated stereotypes that hinder inclusivity. Many individuals with disabilities face systemic boundaries in sports activities, training, and the workforce, usually being underestimated regardless of their talents. This adverse notion not solely impacts societal attitudes but additionally impacts the boldness of these with disabilities, making it more durable for them to entry equal alternatives. Nevertheless, the Canadian athlete and Paralympian Allison Lang is proving that incapacity shouldn’t be a limitation however a special form of power.
Though we will say numerous wonderful issues about Lang (and we are going to!), it might be unfair to disregard the challenges she confronted alongside the best way. Rising up with a incapacity, Allison Lang encountered relentless bullying, societal stigma, and the fixed stress to show herself in a world that always neglected her potential. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, the athlete was born lacking her left leg, and that resulted in her battle with physique picture and self-confidence. It took her numerous years to embrace her uniqueness and see her incapacity not as a limitation, however as a supply of power that will at some point encourage numerous others. Whereas rising up, she preferred doing outside actions and performed sports activities similar to soccer, swimming, and snowboarding. Nevertheless, at 15, she selected to stroll away from these sports activities due to how she felt about herself and her physique. However quickly, she found one thing that will redefine her identification and function—sitting volleyball, a sport that turned her perceived limitation into an plain power. She achieved numerous success whereas enjoying the game, and represented her nation, Canada, on the 2024 Paralympic Video games in Paris. For her, representing her house nation at such a giant occasion was already a monumental feat.
Nevertheless, she was at all times meant to attain higher issues in life, and her relentless willpower led her to the grand stage of worldwide competitors. Representing Canada in sitting volleyball, Allison Lang proved her excellence on the courtroom. Her arduous work and perseverance paid off when she helped her crew safe a bronze medal, marking a historic achievement in her athletic profession. This victory was greater than only a medal—it was a testomony to her resilience, proving that disabilities don’t outline limits however somewhat open doorways to new potentialities. Right this moment, she isn’t just an athlete: she is a mannequin, she is a incapacity advocate and a content material creator, however most significantly, she is an emblem of resilience. I had the dignity of speaking to Lang about her life journey, how she coped with mindless bullying and have become the girl she is now. Actually, I’ve taken numerous interviews in my journalistic profession, however speaking to Lang made me imagine that she is what the “human spirit” is all about.
(For readability functions, the interview has been divided into two components and the second half will likely be printed quickly.)
Allison Lang representing Group Canada for Sitting Volleyball on the 2024 Paralympic Video games ((Picture Courtesy: allisonelang/Fb)
Right here’s the interview:
Aayush Sharma: Was there a selected second or expertise that served as a turning level in your life—the place you stopped seeing your incapacity as one thing that set you aside in a adverse means and as a substitute acknowledged it as a robust a part of your identification?
Allison Lang: It’s been a protracted journey. I will likely be trustworthy. Rising up, I used to be severely bullied. At one level, I didn’t wish to be alive anymore due to the adverse issues that have been stated to me and the way I used to be excluded from all the things in class. I ended up hiding my incapacity as a youngster and whilst a younger grownup. I’m 31 now, for context, however I’ve solely actually been comfy with my incapacity identification for like six years, which is gloomy to say. I’d say my large turning level was truthfully simply as COVID was beginning. That sounds so bizarre, however, you understand, individuals turned to, as a substitute of being in individual, being on-line. I began sharing a little bit bit extra on-line and connecting with different individuals like me. The incapacity group is huge. I imply, we make up the most important marginalized group of individuals in your entire world, with 18% of the worldwide inhabitants. Lastly, I began discovering position fashions of my very own and connecting with individuals on shared experiences. Then I believed to myself, Okay if I’m connecting so deeply for the primary time, it looks like in my complete life, why do I’ve a prosthetic leg that I’m making an attempt so arduous to make look actual? Why don’t I simply, you understand, lower it aside? At the moment, you couldn’t go into a health care provider’s clinic as a result of all the things was shut down. So I ended up—that is harmful, and I don’t advise any youngsters this—however I took a knife to my prosthetic leg and lower the froth off. I stated, if I’m going to authentically stay as myself, I ought to present my steel prosthetic. I’ve been rocking a steel prosthetic ever since. I was embarrassed by it, and now once I see it, I’m like, it form of makes me really feel like a badass, you understand? Yeah, I’d say that will be my large turning level.
Aayush Sharma: Having confronted and overcome childhood bullying, you perceive the deep influence it may well have on vanity and psychological well-being. For younger individuals in the present day who’re scuffling with physique picture, self-confidence, or feeling completely different from their friends, what would you say to assist them navigate these challenges? What methods or mindset shifts helped you rise above negativity and embrace your true self?
Allison Lang: Yeah, the very first thing I wish to say is that, you understand, physique acceptance and self-love shouldn’t be linear. I might sound assured and, you understand, share quite a bit on-line and discuss my weak story, however I’d be mendacity to everybody if I stated I used to be assured each day. It’s like a curler coaster, and it’s one thing that I’ve labored on. I really wish to encourage anybody to begin this self-love journey as a result of it has solely made me extra assured for the long term and extra calm. I’ve extra assured days than adverse days now. The way in which that I’d do it once I was actually younger—I really had a full-length mirror in my bed room. I’d get a whiteboard marker and write issues I liked about myself in there. I’d attempt to chorus from writing something about my look and focus extra on what’s on the within as a result of that’s really extra essential. How do you make your self really feel? How do you make different individuals really feel? How do you join with others? So I’d write issues like, ‘You’re hilarious’, or ‘You will have a household that loves you’ or ‘You’re good, and you bought accepted into college’. Simply these reminders of issues which are a lot extra essential than our physique picture.
As a younger teen, I at all times centered extra on what I appeared like than the influence I had on the world. Along with that, I’d begin a gratitude journal and write three little issues that I used to be grateful for that day. So usually, we deal with what’s going flawed and complain about little issues that occur, however trying on the grand image and pondering of three stuff you’re grateful for form of modifications your mind chemistry. Specializing in the optimistic has actually helped the best way I’ve navigated by way of life, and I’m actually hoping that different individuals can begin to try this as nicely.
(Picture Courtesy: allisonelang/Fb)
Breaking Obstacles and Making Historical past: Allison Lang on Paralympic Triumph and Psychological Resilience
Aayush Sharma: What was the primary second that made you notice that you simply wish to be an expert athlete? And the way was that call important for you?
Allison Lang: I want I used to be an expert athlete. We don’t pay Paralympic or Olympic athletes as professionals in Canada, sadly—hopefully at some point. However yeah, it’s completely different in each nation. Right here, we’re thought-about elite athletes. I’ll be trustworthy, I by no means knew that I needed to be an elite athlete, and it’s unhappy as a result of I’ve been disabled my entire life. I used to be born with my incapacity, and the Paralympics aren’t broadcasted the identical means because the Olympic Video games. Despite the fact that I used to be a younger baby with a incapacity, I didn’t even know the Paralympics existed. That just about looks like placing a glass ceiling over disabled youngsters. I didn’t know I may aspire to do one thing like this. Actually, I grew up enjoying sports activities fully completely different from volleyball. I performed soccer, did swimming, and began snowboarding at 11. I liked these sports activities, however as I acquired older, I attempted hiding my prosthetic. I stop swimming as a result of I couldn’t disguise my leg anymore. In soccer, I pulled my socks up over my knees in order that they met my shorts, hiding the colour distinction. At 15, I stop sports activities altogether due to my physique picture. It was Group Canada and a lady I knew on the crew invited me to strive sitting volleyball. It was a brand-new sport, and I used to be reluctant to go. My mother insisted, saying, “I do know it’s an adaptive sport, however it’s essential to strive it. Who is aware of? You would possibly adore it.”
At the moment, I distanced myself from something disability-related and didn’t wish to play an adaptive sport, fearing individuals would assume much less of me. However once I went, I not solely liked the game—I sucked at it at first. Shifting on the bottom is difficult, and it’s a lot sooner than indoor and standing volleyball. However the group of girls I met modified all the things. I talked about missing position fashions rising up, after which I walked right into a room filled with feminine athletes similar to me—girls with companions, houses, careers, youngsters—all the things I needed however didn’t know I may have. Folks with disabilities have been by no means proven as important characters in a optimistic means. That’s what stored me on the crew. I took a break for college, however I’ve now been enjoying for nearly 9 years with the identical girls. They’re a few of my closest mates, and they’re robust advocates. This 12 months, we made it our mission to raise the Paralympic motion and discuss us as Paralympic athletes. That’s why I shared a lot on-line whereas I used to be on the Video games. I needed to showcase that, sure, they’re just like the Olympics but additionally completely different and distinctive. Folks at all times ask, “Why aren’t they mixed?” Primary, that will be not possible—there are far too many athletes to deal with abruptly. Quantity two, the Paralympics deserve their very own identification. There’s one thing deeper: exhibiting that folks can undergo sickness or accidents and nonetheless come out on prime as elite athletes representing their nation.
Incapacity isn’t a scary factor. Anybody can grow to be disabled at any time, however you may nonetheless grow to be or stay an athlete and never be stripped of your private identification. The Paralympic group is welcoming. This previous summer season, I felt so graciously embraced, and I really hope individuals are studying what the Paralympics stand for. Folks usually assume “para” in Paralympics means paraplegic, however it really means “parallel,” operating alongside the Olympic Video games. It’s such an exquisite message.
Aayush Sharma: Successful Canada’s first Paralympic podium end in sitting volleyball is historic. What feelings ran by way of you in that second?
Allison Lang: Simply speaking about it makes me a little bit emotional. It nonetheless feels surreal. I do know it occurred, however on the similar time, it glided by so shortly. We labored as a crew for 3 and a half years since Tokyo to get to this. Our aim was to hit the rostrum, and we reached that. Such as you stated, we received the very first sitting volleyball medal ever for Canada and the primary summer season sports activities crew medal since London 2012. We broke two data on the Video games, which is loopy to say—I’ve goosebumps simply speaking about it. I used to be so emotional that day. The second the whistle blew after we beat Brazil in that final set, I instantly began crying and couldn’t cease. Each photograph of me exhibits tears streaming down my face, making an unsightly crying face. (laughs) I stated it in an interview proper after, and I’ll say it once more—it means a lot in my coronary heart. We weren’t simply doing this for ourselves. We did this for our nation, however extra importantly, for younger disabled youngsters, to point out them they’ll aspire to do something. They’ll obtain nice issues with their incapacity, make historical past, and convey house a medal.
At that second, I felt like an inside a part of my youthful self was healed. For therefore lengthy, I used to be picked final in fitness center class, made enjoyable of, pushed over. Children stole my prosthetic or buried my crutches within the sandbox. I felt like I had such a limitation in comparison with others due to bullying. However to go signify my nation, win a medal, and grow to be a Paralympic bronze medalist—it’s indescribable. Actually, my dream has been to not show something to others, however to show to myself that I’m greater than able to reaching something I set my thoughts to. It feels monumental to share this second not solely with myself however with my crew and so many others. I adore it. Now, at any time when I communicate at faculties, I carry my medal. I let the youngsters contact it, hoping it exhibits them that they’ll aspire to something they need. And yeah, it nonetheless makes me emotional—most likely for the remainder of my life.
Group Canada posing with their Bronze medal on the 2024 Paralympic video games (Picture Courtesy: allisonelang/Fb)
Aayush Sharma: How do you mentally put together for high-pressure competitions, particularly ones with historic implications?
Allison Lang: Yeah, it was a giant psychological hurdle for me. Actually, it was my first paralympics. A lot of my teammates had been to Rio and Tokyo, however Tokyo had no spectators, so it was quiet. In Paris, we had a sold-out stadium with 20,000 individuals—the most important crowd I’ve ever performed in entrance of. It was additionally proof that folks needed to look at the Paralympics. Bought-out arenas of over 20,000 only for sitting volleyball! Observe had 80,000, additionally offered out. And 11 million individuals tuned in from Canada alone. That’s loopy—so many individuals watching. I knew I’d be nervous, and I figured my teammates could be too, even with expertise. You may see it in our first sport towards Slovenia and our first sport towards Brazil. We really misplaced to Brazil within the preliminary spherical, then beat them within the bronze medal match. It was wonderful to shake these nerves off and are available again stronger. It’s about confidence, understanding you’ve ready for that second. However I received’t say we lacked assist—we had lots. My crew alone had a psychological efficiency coach who helped us focus, block out distractions, and take it one level at a time.
We additionally had a psychological well being lead as a result of every day life impacts efficiency. Distractions occur, so how do you shut them out and focus? Trusting teammates is essential. A few of them are lifelong mates, however in a match like that, you don’t have any selection however to work collectively. You take a look at one another, even after dropping a degree, and say, ‘I belief you. We’ll get the following one’. For 3 years, we centered on the psychological sport. You will be bodily match, however excelling in sports activities requires psychological health too. I even got here up with little tips to make use of on the courtroom.
(Half 2 of the Interview will likely be printed quickly)
