Red Lippy, Shot Put and the Tokyo Paralympics

Meet Vanessa Wallace and discover how a year of yes and some lipstick took her to the Paralympic Games…

Credit: ParalympicsGB

Vanessa can you tell us more about your sports journey and what led you from wheelchair racing to shot-put?

My journey to the Paralympics really came about because of some red lipstick, a tweet and a year of saying yes. In 2010 I was in a physio rehab in-patient programme where I tried wheelchair basketball and realised it wasn’t quite for me. Fast foward to 2012, I came across wheelchair racing and decided to give it a go. I was the only person there for the first 6 months. During those 6 months I learnt that, as a disabled person, I could do physical activity on a weekly basis.

Around this time the “Year of Yes” started. In 2013, I went for national classification. Whilst going through the classification a lovely coach, Steve, told me I was built for throwing. He told me to go see another coach called Alison, and because I was in my “Year of Yes” I had to go. I had a couple of sessions with Alison, but then went off and did life.

In 2014, Alison tweeted me and said when are you going to come back to training. I spoke to a friend about bravery, about holding ourselves back and then got tag teamed by two ladies on the counter at the local Boots, who convinced me to try some red lipstick. I suddenly felt confident. I went back to Alison and started training properly in January 2015. She had me competing by April. I was British Champ by the summer, and I still am British Champ. And then it all went a bit crazy, because the Rio Paralympics were the following year and I made the team. That is how I became a Paralympian.

Your dream is to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics, can you tell us what it’s like to set that goal and the shotput training that’s involved to achieve it?

I remember back in 2019 at World Champs, having just won the bronze, I was sitting with my coach chatting. I had a really weird feeling because I felt like an athlete for the first time ever. For years I had had imposter syndrome and in that moment I really felt like I was getting the whole “athlete” thing, finally. So to set the goal of Tokyo, especially following such a challenging year with the pandemic, I don’t feel that imposter syndrome anymore.

I set the goal to not just make the team, but to go out there and chuck the hell out of the shot put. I’ve now got confidence in myself to be able to do that. Sometimes it takes a long time to get to that point. Some people think that that confidence has to be your driving force. I always say to people to believe in what other people say and encourage you to do, until you can have that belief in yourself.

My goals for Tokyo are to be healthy, be fabulous, and to enjoy the process. The process itself includes three throwing technical sessions a week— which is generally a combination of things that generate the fabulousness, or the “sexy throws.” I do three strength and conditioning sessions a week, alongside pilates as well. Sometimes a little cardio is thrown in for good measure.

“MY GOALS FOR TOKYO ARE TO BE HEALTHY, BE FABULOUS, AND TO ENJOY THE PROCESS.”

How has the pandemic impacted your training and focus?

I have been extremely lucky, when we first went into lockdown my coach was creative. We started to do some training online - including her notorious stretch sessions! It was a great way to keep things ticking over until we could meet oneto-one. When we could finally meet, we met in a park and it was lovely. There is research into “Green Exercise,” and the benefits of training outdoors, and I really felt those benefits.

What advice would you give to any disabled person keen to try shot-put out?

Have a go, have a go again, and then come back the following week and have a go again. I am so keen for people to try it. Often people won’t give things a go if they think they can’t do it, and that can sometimes hinder ourselves. So whether you are going to throw as far as the moon or you are simply enjoying the environment you’re in, power sports are for us. No matter your disability, just come and try throwing. Just look at me, with a bit of red lippy and confidence I am now going to my second Paralympic games. I didn’t know this was possible, and now I do. Give yourself a chance, even if it takes time.

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