I always enjoy University lectures, as I mentioned earlier this year when I spoke virtually to students at Stanford University in the US. So when I was invited to speak to students at the London campus of Loughborough University, I was more than enthusiastic to share my story. The attendees are all scholars from different countries through the Chevening Scholarship programme who have been selected to study graduate programmes across the UK at academic institutions. These communities go on to be future leaders in their own countries and fields, which is why I was so honoured to address their convening. I spoke about my journey as an athlete, the lessons I learnt, the challenges of transition at any point in our lives and how to cope with life changes as best as you can. I used my own transition from being an athlete to finding a new career and identity, a very difficult and lonely experience for me personally. I also discussed my current work in international development, climate action, health, economic development and assistive technology, all underpinned by the importance of inclusion and equality in all these areas of work. I met a fellow prosthetic limb user and you can see us comparing legs in the gallery below. I certainly took a few selfies that day - the magic of the medal of course. As long as it can bring a smile to others’ faces, the effort was all worth it…
