Interview Tai finds ‘silver linings’ in surgery
➤ Swimmer takes positives from giving up dream of Tokyo gold to have an operation on nerve damage in both elbows
Para-swimmer Alice Tai was tipped to be Britain’s postergirl at the Paralympics in Tokyo, where she looked destined for more success in the pool. At the age of 22, she already holds titles across European, world, Commonwealth and Paralympic level and, in a nod to the dominant force she has become in the world of para-sport, takeaway chain Papa John’s even created “The Alice Tai” pizza to mark what would have been her second Paralympics.
But Tai will not be flavouring Japanese culture this summer. Last month, she announced her withdrawal from the Games to prioritise surgery for long-term nerve damage in both elbows.
Born with club foot, a condition which affects her movement and for which she had over a dozen operations during childhood, Tai has used crutches for more than a decade. But recently, her reliance on them surfaced in the cruellest of ways – the nerve damage is the result of years of pressure that has been forced through her elbow joints.
“Medically, I know I need this surgery,” says Tai, who has recently stopped using crutches for fear of her condition deteriorating. “Even mentally, I don’t think I could have put up with the pain it’s causing me. My lack of independence up until the Games, I think that would have really affected my mental health. Coming to terms with it was quite difficult, but after I considered everything, it seemed like the most sensible option.”
A keen musician, Tai cannot even play her beloved guitar, such is the pain caused by her nerve damage, which began festering in the weeks after her record haul of seven titles at the London World Championships in 2019.
In a testament to her positive outlook, the Ealing swimmer is upbeat when we chat on the phone –
‘My lack of independence up to the Games would have really affected my mental health’
emphasising how the plant-based pizza made in her honour is better enjoyed with pineapple – before reflecting on her current circumstances.
“Crutches in general aren’t designed for long-term use,” she explains. “There are a lot of athletes
who use them in para-sport and people day-to-day who use longterm mobility aids. If we can figure something out that may be more suitable for long-term use, then the application of that could really benefit those who need to use crutches. Even though my circumstances
personally suck, there are a lot of silver linings.”
Never one to be disconsolate, Tai is being supported by a team of “brilliant minds” at the English Institute of Sport, which is aiming to design a new, sustainable mobility aid which she can rely on long term.
“We are not 100 per cent sure what the outcome is going to be because it’s a very grey area,” admits Tai, who used a Zimmer frame and wheelchairs between her foot surgeries during childhood.
“We’re looking into designs with an innovation team that may cause less problems for me. It will be really cool and I’m excited for that.”
Tai knows there are advantages to her present situation, even if she will have to wait for her first individual Paralympic title, having claimed a gold in the 4x100metres medley relay gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. As a neuroscience student at Middlesex University, the opportunity to understand her injury and human biomechanics has kept her mentally engaged.
“I [recently] spent a day at the EIS after a physio appointment,” Tai says. “I bought Gray’s Anatomy, the textbook, and I just sat with this skeleton there called Harry, just learning about anatomy. That’s been the extent of my entertainment, it sounds so sad!”
Part of Tai’s enthusiasm is driven by the fact that she is treading a relatively unknown path in the world of para-sport. “What’s interesting is the literature I’ve read around my injury and the application of that in different sports,” she says. “On top of the fact I’m a crutch user, there’s no one who really fits my case. The majority of people who develop this injury are from overhead sports, where they throw things overhead.”
It is little wonder the prospect of being a textbook example for future generations of athletes yields a degree of contentment from Britain’s most successful para-swimmer.
“It’s cool knowing that if there’s anyone in the same situation in the future, then they can use me as a bit of a case study,” Tai says. “I quite like that.”