Probably one of the hardest things about acquiring a disability is the loss of self.

Everything that has been your reality until that point, suddenly becomes foreign. Becomes difficult. Maybe even impossible.

And very few people truly understand how it feels to lose their identity, their independence and their autonomy. In this situation, you have two choices.

You can simply allow the situation to control you.

Or, you can take control and learn a new norm.

Easier said than done though, right?

Especially when you have to relearn everything you’ve ever known. You have to adapt to new circumstances and figure out a new reality in an environment that isn’t built to your needs.

For nearly a decade post-disability, thinking that I had no choice but to accept my situation (thanks to ill-informed medical opinion) and allow my existence to be defined by the changes in my body, I just lay there in bed. All day. Every day.

It wasn’t until I realised that there can be life post disability, If you choose it and with good support, that things began to change. This took me on a huge journey of self-discovery and challenging the societal expectations of what it means to live with a disability.

I’m not claiming that it’s easy. Nor that it isn’t fraught with challenges… every single day.

But, on finding a way to immerse myself in building this new life, adapting to my situation and facing barriers head-on, I started to understand how filled with joy this new life could be.

When newly disabled, we are often faced with so many challenges, including what we believe disability is, that it can take a long time to figure out how to rebuild our lives.

That being said, in essence, you are still the same person. With the same hopes and dreams. And the same personality.
Disability can’t take that away.

In my experience, I don’t change my goals or who I am, I just the way that I’ve gone about chasing them.

By not giving up on me, I’ve been lucky to find a new normal, that I love and wouldn’t change for the world.

Don’t ever forget that you are still you and can achieve things too, just maybe in a different way to previously.

About the author:

Natasha Price is a track and marathon wheelchair racer, passionate disability advocate, entrepreneur, podcast host, speaker, multi-award winner, author and Gold Coast Women of the Year 2022 (Champion of Sport). She is also the Country Chair of Sports Empowerment in Australia for the G100 and founder of InvincAble, an organisation that gives visibility to disability and empowers all people to embrace challenges and chase dreams.