Ismydisability goingtostopme competingin motocross? On yir bike!
Sports-loving Gemma Scott was paralysed after a rare neurological condition struck but she has battled back and found the perfect outlet for her competitive spirit
A DAREDEVIL Scot has taken up adrenaline-fuelled motocross racing – despite being paralysed from the waist down. Gemma Scott was just 17 when she woke up in the middle of the night unable to move her legs after developing a rare neurological condition. The keen sprinter saw her dreams of becoming a PE teacher dashed, but has refused to let the illness beat her. Now, she’s taking part in motocross events on rugged terrain in a bid to show disabled people are capable of anything. Spending £5000 of her own money on a motorbike despite never having ridden one before, Gemma hopes to compete against able-bodied racers. She said: “My boyfriend Callum started motocross again two years ago after doing it as a kid. “I knew nothing about the sport when I went along with him. Then one day I felt like I wanted to be the same as everyone else. I wanted the same buzz the other riders had.” Gemma, 23, who lives in a village near Jedburgh in the Borders, faced difficulties straight away when she and partner Callum Harris, 27, went looking for a bike. She said: “I tried a place where you can ride electric bikes, but they said their insurance wouldn’t cover me as a disabled person. “I had to buy a bike without even knowing if I could ride it. But I wanted to try it, no matter what.” Gemma bought the electric KTM bike three months ago and immediately started attending off-road motocross meetings across the UK. She added: “The bike is fully automatic so there’s no gears and no foot pedal – and it’s pretty quick. “I’ve had smaller wheels fitted so it’s easier to be lifted back on if I fall off. But that’s the only modification. “My partner had a crash which left him off work for a while so I knew it can be dangerous.” The couple, who have been together for three years, travelled to places like Doncaster and Preston in England to race. Gemma said: “We’ve been riding
sand tracks over the winter that were pretty rough. I’m training at the moment rather than doing competitions, getting out on the track and enjoying it.
“I’m cautious at first on a new track, but I don’t want to stop by the end because I’ve been getting better throughout the day.”
Her disability has presented Gemma with unique challenges as a rider.
She said: “My balance is off so I have to take that into account.
“Able-bodied riders can stick their legs out for balance and grip the bike with their legs but I can’t.
“I’ve fallen off but had no serious crashes where I’ve really hurt myself.
“We were at a track last weekend and my boyfriend lifted me onto the bike. People watching were gobsmacked I was even getting on one.
“It’s nice when people at events come over and speak to me. I don’t have great confidence so having comments about being inspiring gives me a real boost.”
This summer Gemma will start racing at her local track in Duns.
She added: “I’ve joined Team Duns Motocross, who will give me training sessions on their track. And I’ve got my sponsors – Thor Motocross, Dunlop UK, Motul UK and Madison.co.uk, who provide my kit and bike parts.
“There’s a girl’s national competition I’d really like to take part in at a meet in Duns. It would be great to show it’s not just able-bodied people who can race.
“If someone who is disabled could watch me and think, ‘She’s in a wheelchair and can do that’, it would be amazing.”
It was May 2011 when Gemma went to bed one night feeling “perfectly fine”.
She said: “At 4am, I woke up completely paralysed from the waist down and was rushed to hospital.
“Doctors diagnosed me with a functional neurological disorder.
“They say the condition usually comes from a trauma in your life where the brain shuts down, but I never had any traumas. The doctors are putting it down to a virus. I previously lost the use of my arm and speech, but I’ve built that back up again. I also suffer from chronic pain.”
The then-teenager was studying sport and exercise at Borders College in Galashiels when her illness struck.
She said: “I was a sprinter and did running competitions. Sport was my life. Suddenly I couldn’t go to college anymore, I couldn’t run. I was taking driving lessons, that stopped. I’d lost everything.
“The doctors say I might walk again one day, I might not. Each person’s case is unique.
“I used to work as an additional needs assistant in a primary school, working alongside disabled children. But when I had problems with my arm, I couldn’t push my wheelchair and had to stop.
“But I’m applying to do that again. Working with disabled children, I think I can offer them a take on things that an able-bodied parson couldn’t.”
Motocross has provided another way to battle the mental and emotional anguish she still faces daily.
Gemma said: “I can put on a smile but I’m crying and screaming inside.
“I can get myself pretty low during the week then my boyfriend reminds me I’m going on my bike at the weekend.
“Going out on the bike gives me hope and makes me happy. I need challenges to keep me going.”
Going out on the bike gives me hope and makes me happy GEMMA SCOTT