On your marks, get set, go! Our very own Occupational Therapy Assistant, Fabienne André, is ready to take to the track at this year's Paralympic Games in Paris.
Fabienne, who works at Chailey Clinical Services, will be representing Team GB as a Wheelchair Racer in the T34 100m Heat/Final* (Women's) and the T34 800m Final (Women's). This will be her first paralympic games with a live audience after her debut in Tokyo took place without a crowd due to the pandemic.
Fabienne's racing career began in 2019 and since then she's balanced a rigorous training schedule with her work at the Trust. She said: “I've worked in various roles in the Trust, most recently as an occupational therapy assistant at Chailey Clinical Services. In my role I run clinics, do school-based work, equipment checks on wheelchairs and important administrative work for the team. I'm incredibly passionate about working in healthcare, I love what I do.”
This year's Paralympics are especially exciting for Fabienne, not only because of the crowd, but because the games are taking place close to home. She said, “This is as close to a home-games as it gets and I'm really excited to have friends and family able to come along and watch in the crowd. The minimal time difference also means there's loads of support with people able to watch live on TV which is great.”
Speaking about the support from her the young people she works with and her colleagues, she said, “A lot of the school have got behind me and shown their support and it's a real privilege to be able to help inspire the young people here that anything is possible.
“My team have also been amazing. They've been incredibly flexible and supportive, allowing me to fit my work in and travel for qualifying events. I have to be super organised but it's really important to me to be able to work and train and I'm so pleased I'm able to do both.”
Fabienne is competing in the T34 100m and 800m events. She said “Both races are really different. The 100m, you just have to give everything and you can't make any mistakes. The 800m is a bit more tactical. Both are exciting for different reasons.”
Fabienne set off for Paris on 21 August to join the preparation camp before heading to the paralympic village. She said, “It's a privilege to be here. I'll be supporting all of Team GB, especially the athletics team. There's a great sense of camaraderie and team spirit and being part of a multi-sport event with so many countries, it just takes it to a new level.”
You can watch her races on Channel 4:
- 1 September, 10:05am (UK time) - T34 100m heat
- 1 September, 6:21pm (UK time) – T34 100m final*
- 7 September, 7:22pm (UK time) – T34 800m final
Chailey Clinical Services provide need-led, bespoke therapeutic and medical care for children and adults with diverse and often fluctuating conditions related to their complex disability. The majority of services are designed for children and young people; however, some also support adults with complex neurodisability and health needs. Find out more about the different services Chailey Clinical Services provide.
