TRose Chin, 65, couldn’t get through the door the first two times she came to the basketball court to try out for Inverness’ wheelchair team. “I looked out the window and just thought, ‘I can’t do this,'” she says. “But the third time, I decided to walk through before I even had time to think. The team welcomed me with open arms, and it has never changed the way I live in a wheelchair since.”
Trinh suffered a stroke in 2018 that left her partially paralyzed. For months she remained in hospital battling complications and began to regain her strength and ability to communicate. “At first I was in a really dark place, too weak to use a wheelchair,” she says. “I realised I’d never be able to go back to my old life. It was hell.”
After being released from hospital and returning to her home in Fort William, Chin slowly began to adjust to life in a wheelchair, alone. She quit her job at Morrisons, gave up sports like squash and badminton, and had to work out how to answer questions about her health. “I felt embarrassed sitting in my wheelchair when I went out,” she says. “People I hadn’t seen in a long time would ask me about it and I would have to explain what had happened. It was like going through it all again.”
Asking for help was particularly difficult for Chin because she didn’t want to be a burden, but after she was encouraged to seek therapy, she began to see a future for herself. “It was really good to have someone to talk to about my experiences,” she says. “I started opening up to others and one day my social worker suggested I try playing sports. She told me about a wheelchair basketball team and I decided to give it a go.”
After succeeding in her third attempt to step onto the court in 2022, Chin was signed up as part of the 10-person team and began attending weekly training sessions where she learned how to pass, throw and defend while sitting in a specially designed chair. “We quickly became a little family with a WhatsApp group full of jokes,” she laughs. “I’m the oldest on the team and the youngest is 19, but when you play, age doesn’t matter. It’s so exciting.”
After playing a few friendlies against teams like Aberdeen, Chin has got the hang of playing in defence, putting herself between the opposition and goal to block onrushing opponents. “The match is full-on and lasts for a total of 40 minutes, but we usually play 10 minutes each and then take turns,” she says. “It’s very nerve-wracking. I broke my thumb playing three months ago.”
Despite the potential injuries, Chin finds the sport invigorating. Now 67, she has lost 50kg, hired a personal trainer for dietary advice and started a weightlifting program. “I used to feel very alone, but now I’m part of something,” she says. “It’s definitely changed the way I see myself, because I’m doing things I never did when I was able-bodied. I’m not ashamed of being in a wheelchair anymore.”
Her team also plays in a local league, where they are ranked second, while Chin spends the week working remotely in customer service for Morrisons, weight training, and practicing and playing basketball – and she’s also looking to try her hand at lawn bowls.
“I feel very independent and intend to keep playing for as long as I can,” she says. “I want to raise more money and get more equipment so I can get other people involved. They may feel the same way I do, but I want them to know that opportunities are out there and they don’t have to be alone.”
