As a wheelchair basketball coach, I am a strong proponent of the idea that all body types and bodyminds can engage in sports at all levels and should be given the means to do this safely and meaningfully.

Physical exercise and movement is a human right. It belongs to all humans. The question should not be can people compete or engage in sport but how can they. And how we as coaches, associations, leagues and supporters can make this happen for potential athletes.

Accessibility in sport is not just a disability issue. 

Accessibility needs to include people from all backgrounds. This depends on associations, teams and supporters being actively pro- trans; intersex; disability; women; poor; fat, and pro global majority. If everyone is welcome in sport than let’s welcome everyone.

Accessibility at the Olympic and Paralympic level

The Olympics and Paralympics are world class stages and positions are hard fought for. That does not mean that everyone who could perform at this level has the opportunity, for a multitude of reasons including the need to self-fund or have access to the right equipment and sports groups to begin with. 

Athletes who do have the skill and opportunity to compete at these levels have dedication to their training, passion for their sport and amazing levels of skill. This should never be undermined by outdated and imperfect thoughts on sex and gender as strictly binary. 

All bodies are different. Some people will have advantage over others due to biological factors including height, weight, power and speed. Others will also benefit from access to high class training and sports equipment. Some athletes are barely scrapping by financially (Flavour Flav funding a women’s synchronised swimming team, for example). 

Maybe the most important part of team based success is having a great coach and team members who know how to challenge you whilst supporting your growth and championing your skills. You can’t put a price on a team that supports and grafts together, and also enjoys each others company.

Who does ‘sex testing’ in sports harm?

Simply: everyone. There are sex differences across cisgender athletes, as well as transgender and intersex athletes. The results of sex testing can be used by other athletes, as well as people outside of sports, to harm all athletes, with bigoted commentary mostly effecting women, trans, and global majority athletes.

Recent events involving Imane Khelif in women’s boxing in the Olympics makes me think of all the amazing people I know who have been, or are currently in, the Paralympics. To think that their skill, effort and craftsmanship could be undermined by a test that they passed and shouldn’t necessarily had to have in the first place, is horrifying.

Especially if they are then subjected to the ignorance and arrogance of people online who have probably never been involved in sports (let alone at such an impressive level). Or who have no interest in the Olympics until they can moan about how ‘woke’ it is. 

I’m not even going to start with women taking down other women in sport. It’s a whole other conversation, one wrapped in internalised misogyny, patriarchy, and racism. 

All body types belong in sports

Paralympic and Olympic athletes, and those of us much further down the leagues deserve to follow oyr passions safely whether at the local community centre or on the world stage.