|
Interview Copyright/Media Notice
If you would like permission to reproduce extracts from any of these interviews please click
here
for conditions:
|
Interviews
|
|
 |
Caroline Baird (Innes) MBE- Athlete
Caroline has won two Olympic Golds and a Silver at the paralympics. In 1993 she was named Young Disabled Sportswoman of the Year. Caroline lives in Dundee."Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something because you can achieve anything you want to in life"
My Mum because I wouldn't be where I am today without her - she taught me to be strong and believe in myself.
Loch Lommond - because it is so peaceful and beautiful.
Winning the 400m in Sydney in a world record and getting my MBE.
My coach (John Oulton) told me if I wanted it enough I could do it but it was an awful lot of work. I suppose there was about 85%. Hard work and 15% talent, although family and coach will probably tell you different.
4 Golds and 1 Silver internationally. The 400m was the hardest because although it is still a sprint, you still have to pace it and leave enough for the finish.
Bob Mathews who is a blind runner whose last games was Athens, but he has medalled in every major games since 1980ish, which is remarkable.
I don't think Paralympics and Olympics will ever be treated with the same interest. I feel there are journalists who can't see past the disability and turn the story in to one of sympathy in order to get you to read it - when I had stories written, most would write 'Caroline Innes who suffers...' etc
However some journalists were really good and concentrated on the sport which is what it was all about. I think there is a lot of ignorance which needs to be tackled in schools so that their understanding of disability is greater and until that happens people are going to think that Paralympians only train once a week etc. If only they knew!!
My family, friends and, of course, my coach.
Marion Jones because she is an elegant runner and not too muscley - I think women should look like women!
I would like to teach her to be strong, independent and respectful to everybody which is what my Mum and Dad taught me.
Learn to live with it and try everything and anything you want to - be stubborn, like me!
Having my daughter Christy, who is two because life completely changes and you have a different outlook on life.
I would give it to SCOPE who work with people with Cerebral Palsy.
Tiger or Cheetah in Australia as it's nice and hot and is an amazing country.
Funny, confident, stubborn, determined and of course, fantastically attractive!!!
To find out more about sports and disabilities please see www.scottishdisabilitysport.com
