A clean bill of health could mean a poor prognosis for Shannon Lee Murray’s Paralympic dreams, and those of her adaptive rowing crew if a suitable replacement is not found shortly.
According to South African adaptive rowing team manager Carol Blignaut, Murray’s permanent disability status is in doubt and a new female member is urgently needed for the LTA (legs, trunks and arms) mixed 4+ crew ahead of the World Rowing Cup in Belgrade, Serbia, which starts on April 30.
Blignaut said this would be the final opportunity for the national team to qualify for the Paralympic Games in London at the end of August. Having debuted in Beijing four years ago, adaptive rowing is the most recent addition to the competition.
“She needs to be athletic with as little physical disability as possible while still meeting the minimum criteria, such as a below-the-knee amputation or the loss of at least three fingers on one hand,” Blignaut described the potential recruit.
Meanwhile Murray, who lost the tops of her toes and soles of her feet to gangrene as a result of meningococcal septicaemia, has been training intensively at RowSA’s performance excellence centre at the University of Johannesburg.
Slight improvements in her condition have however meant that she could be “outclassed” or, in layman’s terms, does not have enough of a disability.
“What made me qualify initially was that there was a blockage in my ankle,” said Murray, who bears the scars of numerous skin grafts on her legs.
“When I went back for re-assessment it had improved by two degrees, so that meant I might not qualify because I had been such a borderline case to begin with.”
The 24-year-old said she was upset about possibly missing the Paralympics. “It was exactly what I wanted and I’ve trained so hard. At this point, I would almost like to be more disabled.”
Although the Northcliff resident’s place in the team is now in question, she could still travel to Belgrade. “I’m still committed, but I’m not keeping my hopes up.”
The remaining crew members are Clifford Andrews (50), who has a below-the-knee amputation, and visually impaired rowers Sisanda Msekele (24) and Gavin Kilpatrick (30). UJ student Kilpatrick was a track cycling bronze medallist at Beijing.
Murray said the athletes train between four and five hours a day, both on the water and in the gym.
“My possible replacement must definitely have commitment and a passion for the sport. It’s time-consuming and you can’t go half-heartedly into it.”
Murray said she would not change her circumstances despite suffering multiple organ failure three years ago due to her illness. “I still battle with walking, but it’s opened me up to new ways of thinking and appreciating things a lot more.”
She said she was looking forward to continued involvement with the sport as she had rowed in high school and also coached at tertiary level.
The LLB student is also hoping to combine her degree studies in law and sign language to advocate for the rights of the deaf. “I wouldn’t consider myself as disabled as someone who’s blind or deaf but I definitely have a better understanding of their situation, I’d say.”
Persons who fit the above requirements can contact Carol on 011 559 2195 or carolb@uj.ac.za.
