Wheelchair Basketball Dream: Back My Journey

Aim

Proud Yorkshire lass chasing a GB dream! Help fund travel, training, and kit so I can wear the Union Jack on court and inspire more women.

I’m a disabled woman in my 40s, and for the last seven years wheelchair basketball has been my lifeline. Finding exercise as a disabled person isn’t easy—finding a place you feel accepted and appreciated is even harder. On court, I’m not “the patient” or “the wheelchair.” I’m an athlete. I’m strong. I’m free from the constant noise of chronic pain and medical issues, even if just for a while.

I am training hard with the over 40’s Great Britain squad. As a proud Brit and a proud Yorkshire lass, the thought of wearing the Union Jack and singing the national anthem in the future brings me to tears. For so long I thought this was impossible. 

I live with a lifelong condition that causes severe pain and exhaustion. I’ve gone from being unable to sit up in hospital or feed myself, to pacing, rebuilding, and slowly gaining the strength to live independently with carer support—and to play basketball. Sport has transformed my quality of life. The pain I feel from training is “positive pain”—it makes me stronger. It’s helped my health, my confidence, and my independence after years of isolation and discrimination.

What I need to train for opportunities, I need help covering the real costs that athletes like me often shoulder ourselves:

• Travel to training camps and fixtures
• Accommodation and accessible transport
• Specialist equipment and chair maintenance
• Coaching, physio, and competition fees

Every pound gets me closer to the court, to my team, and to representing our country with pride.

What your gift does

• £15 helps with training session costs and fuel
• £35 supports accessible travel to a camp or game
• £75 contributes to coaching and physio
• £150 helps maintain and repair my sports chair
• £300+ covers a weekend of competition (travel + accommodation)

Why this matters Wheelchair basketball isn’t just a sport—it’s healthcare, community, and dignity rolled into one. It relieves stress, builds strength, and gives people like me a place to belong. Your support doesn’t only fund a dream; it pushes back against the barriers and discrimination disabled people face every day.

Please donate today and help me get to the GB court.

Thank you for believing in me—and for helping me wear the Union Jack with pride for all of us.

With gratitude, Alison S, West Yorkshire 

@alisonroadtogb ~ facebook.com/alison.zebra.schofield

This project successfully funded on 24th August 2026