For England’s women’s amputee football team, one thing is standing in the way of competing at the Women’s Amputee World Cup.
The tournament is due to take place in Colombia this November, and will be the first time the Amputee Lionesses have competed as an all female team.
But in order to do so, they need to raise £50,000 to cover costs associated with preparing the team.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the England Amputee Football Association and has reached just over £10,000 so far.
Lauren Cooper, 33, found the team after her leg was amputated two years ago and thought her active lifestyle was over.
She told Sky News that she initially thought she would not be able to do any sport.
“I lost my leg in 2022 following Storm Eunice, a brick wall blew over and on to me,” Lauren explained.
“I used to play netball excessively, about five times a week… immediately, I was thinking, ‘I am not going to be able to do anything’.”
But things changed for Lauren when she received a message on Instagram inviting her to a taster session of amputee football.
“It sounds cliche, I think, but it was almost like finding yourself again by finding out that you can carry on with sport, it was an incredible thing for me,” she added.
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She explains that whilst she and the team make it look easy, “it’s harder than people think”.
“The girls can say how many times I’ve fallen over because I’ve tried to put my left foot down, even though my left is not there,” she said.
“I’ll try and stop the ball with my left foot. So it’s actually really difficult to get the co-ordination of balance on crutches while you kick and then recover. It’s a lot trickier than it looks.”
Goalkeeper Tate Willis said playing the sport all her family love has not only helped her gain friends who understand her battles, but also helped to build up her self-esteem.
Goalkeeper Tate Willis said playing has helped build her self-esteem
“One school I was physically beaten up on the playground, which wasn’t too nice for a nine-year-old child,” the 17-year-old, who was born without a left hand, said.
“[The team] made me more confident at school, in myself and also within football,” she added.
“When I started, I was really shy. I always wore long sleeves. I didn’t want to show much of myself. So to be where I am now, it’s really good for me.”
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Shelbee Clarke said she “knew football was where I was going to be in life, it was always something I loved”.
After receiving a scholarship at the age of 18 to play football in the US, she was diagnosed with cancer, which ultimately led to the amputation of her left leg.
Shelbee Clarke was set to play football in the US when she was diagnosed with cancer
“I knew that even with one leg I wasn’t going to stop playing football,” Shelbee admitted.
“Even disabled I coached, it’s given me a reason to get up every day and get my body in the best shape I can.”
Shelbee said having the opportunity for her squad to go to Colombia will be the “cherry on top” and the “start of forever”, but achieving that dream relies on public support.
“If we can’t be a part of that history, it will be devastating,” she added, “not just for us, but as a nation. We have a chance to bring a trophy home. That would be nice!”
Source Agencies
