Catherine Hale

Note to sports editors: "Spoonie" :  a person living with debilitating chronic illness which restricts daily living through exhaustion and/or pain. Origin: Christine Miserandino’s Spoon Theory where counting spoons is a metaphor for the calculated rationing of limited units of energy necessary to get through each day. Spoonie athletes' disabilities are usually not visible, and cannot normally be overcome with the use of prosthetics or technology. Some use mobility aids such as powered wheelchairs but cannot compete in wheelchair events such as racing or basketball because the upper body is subject to the same degree of pain and weakness as the lower body. Spoonie athletes generally possess the same quantity of grit, determination and human spirit as other Paralympic athletes. It may be less evident to spectators, however, because spoonilympic events often take place within the athlete’s own home and are not televised. ME1 Triathlon Event for severely affecte