The Lucy Shuker Story Part 1
Wimbledon
June 18, 2018
Part 1
She is arguably the bravest and best sports woman we have in Britain. Yet very few of us even know about Lucy Shuker, or the challenges she faces.
With Wimbledon just around the corner and tennis very much in focus once more, the talk will be of Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
There won’t be too much mention of the British tennis star whose physical disadvantages put the past injuries suffered by Murray and Federer into sharp perspective.
The Lucy Shuker story
But when you hear Lucy Shuker’s story, you might just consider her more remarkable and more deserving of our acclaim than any of the household names.
In simple muscular terms, Lucy has no core function. She can’t use her torso effectively; not like the others can. Yet every month she battles it out on tennis courts around the world against rivals who have full core function.
She is about to do the same at Wimbledon.
Lucy’s website will tell you about her incredible achievements in plain terms. It states:
“Lucy Shuker is a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player with a career best ranking of World No. #5 in Singles and World No. #3 in Doubles. Current GB No.#1, Lucy is a Double Paralympic Medallist, former World Doubles Champion, three times Wimbledon Finalist and World Team Cup Medallist amongst a number of other National and International successes
Lucy started playing Wheelchair Tennis in 2002 following a motorbike accident which left her paralysed from the chest down. She has since gone on to represent Great Britain at three successive Paralympics; Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Lucy made history at the London 2012 Paralympics alongside fellow Brit Jordanne Whiley when the pair became the first women to win a medal for Great Britain in wheelchair tennis, coming from match point down to secure Bronze in the women’s doubles event. Lucy and Jordanne retained their Bronze medal status at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.”
But that really doesn’t cover the whole story. For these achievements are even more amazing when the severity of Lucy’s disability is taken into account.