Tully Kearney: Paralympic gold medallist championing opportunities for children with disabilities

Tully Kearney gone out fast again. and here comes Tully Kearney now is it going to be another world record swim? What a swim from Tully Kearney Tully Kearney is the World Champion in a new world record time. Tully was inspired to get into swimming by her older brother, Luke. He'd joined a swimming club was very keen, and she often spent hours and hours on poolside watching him train. And one day the coach approached her and said, well, rather than sit there, why don't you join in? There, I kind of realised, like, how free I was in the water. I didn't feel disabled and I was treated like everyone else was. She loved it and she was determined to overcome any obstacles in her way. So that's kind of where my love for it came. And then I started racing and I just realised that that was the sport for me. Tully's very passionate that everyone should have the ability or the opportunity to participate in sport, and I think that's where the frame running comes in. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to feel what it's like to run. So frame running is a three wheeled frame a bit like a trike, but it doesn't have pedals, it has a seat like a bike would have and then a chest support. So the user leans on it and it takes all of their body weight and it allows people who can't walk to run. One of my friends was a para-cyclist. She'd been doing frame running for a few years and she'd been trying to convince me to try it, but I wasn't interested. I was like, I'm a swimmer. Why do I want to know about athletics? Like why do I want to be on a cold track? I had shoulder surgery, and it meant that I couldn't swim for six months. I was like, you know what? I'm going to give it a shot because I can't do anything and I want to be able to train. It’s the first sport I've actually found. I can use my legs in but it's the first time I've been able to run. Huxley I think with frame running the biggest thing is just getting the word out there more because it's still such a new sport and so unknown and there's so many kids that could benefit. Caitlyn had a taster day and you loved it, didn't you? Yeah. And now we can’t stop you, can we Caitlyn. She’s very fast. Aren’t you? How much do you enjoy training when you get to train with Tully? I love it. I work you hard, don’t I? Yeah. You do. So I've got a few projects coming through at the minute. The biggest one is trying to set my own club in Loughborough and then I have a ten year plan. So, through meeting Leo I kind of realised that how many other kids out there in similar situations that can't get access to to the sport and are being told they can't have walkers because they need to learn to sit first when actually put them on a frame and they can run. So how much do you enjoy frame running? A lot. That much?! I like going fast and racing my brother There's so many kids out there that I want to help. like Leo and Caitlyn, there's lots of sports that don't suit them but frame running does. It's more to get the word out there, to get people to be encouraged to go and try loads of sports and not be discouraged. If that sport that they've tried isn't for them I think it is really important that every kid has the opportunity to be active. It's really hard to find any sport that you can do with a child with disabilities. So finding frame running has been really important for him and he really enjoys it. It helps to get me moving and makes me stronger. There's not enough groups around. We have to travel quite far to go to anything and there's just not enough. So the fact that she's creating one she's going to provide frames and help with the training is just absolutely amazing. I think it's really important because I think it's nice for them to see someone like themselves rather than having a coach who is able-bodied or or who isn’t an athlete. I think it's nice then to actually have someone and also, I can show them demos, can show them exactly what I want because I can get on my frame. So yeah, I think that makes a difference. Do you agree? Yeah. She sees beyond people's disabilities and, you know, she sees the person. And I think that's a really brilliant quality that she has. Safe to say that you’re a proud proud mum then? I am, yeah. So the biggest thing is just work with the person with a disability. Don't just assume that they can't do it because that really is a massive barrier. And obviously the other barriers, the cost of the sport equipment, which is where clubs come in and places like CP Sport but the biggest barrier sometimes is just people's attitude. So just be open minded. Frame running, unfortunately hasn't been included in the Paralympics. It was a sport made for people that were too disabled to do other sports. What would you love to see for the future of frame running? So over the next ten years, I want to branch out as much as possible to get as many kids on frames in the UK so that everyone has access and everyone can experience the freedom of running. the frame running is for fitness, although I do absolutely love it and that is my passion getting people into it. So it has always been my sport, but it is really cool having two sports and being out to see the other side of it. And also it's nice to be to train outdoors versus just seeing the bottom of a pool all the time. and it's affected the way I swim. And I've had to relearn some again a few times. I've been put in different classifications It was hard to find somewhere that would take Tully as a disabled person, and I think that can be a barrier sometimes to young people wanting to become involved in sport. Tully faced quite a lot of challenges getting into sports. swimming was a form of physio for her and we were definitely recommended for her to do that, to help with her, her muscles and her joints. so I was born with multiple palsy, affected my legs and make my left side weaker. But when I was 16, I got a diagnosis of generalized dystonia after years of tests, which is a neurological disorder. gotten a lot worse as I've gotten older, which has meant my mobility declines and I'm a full time wheelchair user. It's affected these in my arms to my limbs, How much do you enjoy training? A little bit, yeah. I work you hard. Then do I think the biggest one is that we understand each other. And also, I love Caitlyn because she's like me. Like, if you ask her to do more, she'll never say no. She'll just keep going until she's, like, so tired that she can't move. So for me, it's really nice. But I think it's really important because I think it's nice for them to see someone like themselves rather than having a coach able bodied or or who is an athlete. I think it's nice then to actually have someone and also what I can show them demos, like I can show them exactly what I want because I can get on my phone. So yeah, I think that makes a difference. Do you agree? Yeah, It's, it has so many health benefits, especially for a child who has a disability that is in a wheelchair. One day the health benefits they get and moving around is just crazy and it can help so much.