Paula Tesoriero: Elite disabled athletes deserve better recognition

Paula Tesiriero. Photo / NZPA.

Life is full of things that 'should' and 'should not' happen. Elite disabled athletes 'should' get better recognition for their achievements, and there 'should not' be any need for a separate award for disabled athletes.

But the fact that our disabled athletes 'should' get better recognition does not mean they do or will in the near future, unless there is a specific award to recognise their achievements.

Disabled sport retaining top award at Halbergs

That's why I feel compelled to provide an opinion in support of the decision of the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation's announcement that it will retain the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award at the Westpac Halberg Awards. After all, a majority of New Zealand's elite disabled athletes supported the retention of the Award in a survey recently undertaken.

To be honest supporting something that appears to treat disabled people differently goes against everything I stand for and I sincerely hope that in the future, the award will be redundant. But it comes down to this: if the debate is about equality and what 'should' happen, then let's get rid of the separate award.

People who don't support the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award desperately want what is fair and right. That is to see an elite disabled athlete win one of the other award categories available ie. Sportsman, Sportswoman, Team or overall Sportsperson of the Year (Halberg Award), because by now, someone 'should' have.

But if the debate is about achieving better recognition and celebration of disabled sport, then we need the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award for a little while yet.
The debate about whether or not to retain the award forces us to confront some challenging things. Why is it that disabled athletes don't take out more of the top sports awards? I have a few ideas about this.

I think for some, the idea of 'disability' and 'elite sport' going together is still hard to grasp or somehow, disability sport is not the same as other sport. I think it's also because the opportunity to watch disability sport on TV is not the same as for able-bodied sport, and therefore the profile and reporting is not what it 'should' be.

I can tell you right now that elite disabled sport is elite sport. I can't see the difference in training, commitment and preparation between disabled athletes and able-bodied athletes. I'll stick my neck out here and say that some aspects are harder: along with putting up with the usual injuries, disabled athletes face other obstacles unique to their disability. I can't tell you how many times I chaffed or split my stump through relentless training sessions or ripped my shoulder because I don't have enough fingers to hold on to the handlebars properly. That's how hard you push. And you have to push that hard!

The Paralympic Games is now one of the largest international sporting events in the world. The competition is tough, only the talented make it there, and only the best make it to the podium. The technology is changing at astronomical rates, times are getting faster, and the investment in disabled sport is growing.

So, of course when disabled athletes do stunning things on the world stage, they 'should' be recognised for it.

In the days where there was no Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award, many disabled athletes were nominated for the Westpac Halberg Awards, myself included, but did not make the finals.

Prior to the category being introduced Sophie Pascoe had been the only athlete to date who made it through as a finalist for the Sportswoman category in 2008. But her four gold medals from Beijing were not good enough to win it.

Things have been a bit better at regional level; with some disabled athletes taking out the overall Sportswoman, Sportsman or overall Regional Sportsperson awards. But even so, there are still examples of disabled athletes having won gold at the Paralympic games missing out at regional level to able-bodied athletes who have achieved great things, but not as good as a gold Paralympic medal.

The great thing about having the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award at the Westpac Halberg Awards is that disabled sport becomes visible and celebrated. Without the Award, those achievements get buried. And while they are buried, it is hard to raise awareness in the minds of people. A greater awareness will mean a greater interest in watching it on TV and greater reporting of its success.

Some have referred to the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award as a 'token award' - it is anything but this in my view. The award stands on its own and the winner is eligible for the overall supreme Halberg Award. I cannot wait for the day that an elite disabled athlete wins the Halberg Award, because eventually it will happen.

Ultimately we 'should not' need a separate award for disabled athletes. But right now if we are serious about recognising their achievements and raising the profile of disabled sport then we need this award.

Paula Tesoriero is a Paralympic Champion, winning gold and two bronzes in Beijing in cycling. She is now retired from competitive sport. Paula is a Trustee of the Halberg Disability Sports Foundation and was Wellington Sportswoman of the Year in 2009 and 2010.