Sianagh Gallagher, 17, is a talented one-armed climber from Acomb in York. A member of the Team GB paraclimbing team, she is also an assistant coach with the British Mountaineering Council and now teaches able-bodied children to enjoy the sport she feels so passionate about.

“I was born with one arm, but they don’t have any idea why, really. I think it is easier when you are born like that than if you lose an arm later – I didn’t know any different, so it made everything that much easier. I got used to people asking about it and pretty soon I kind of forgot about it.

At first, kids at school were a bit strange with me, but the more they got to know me, the more they’d want to help and would just take it in their stride.

I’d get frustrated when I wasn’t included in games in the playground because they assumed I couldn’t do it, but it didn’t last long – I showed them I was as good as them and made sure I got involved. The older I got, the more I realised the problem was in other people’s minds, not with my disability. I never had any problems doing anything.

I really enjoyed sports from an early age – it gave me a chance to join in and to compete on equal terms. I played a lot of football and tag rugby, where my disability was irrelevant. Then, when I was ten, the school started a climbing club and, after being unsure initially, I joined in and I absolutely loved it.

We climbed on an indoor wall at a local leisure centre. I’m not sure how I was able to do it with one arm, but I adapted to it straight away. It takes a lot of practice to get where I am now. But at first it was just a case of getting up that wall and I had no trouble doing it.

I put my body and my legs in different positions to able-bodied climbers. For example, a normal position is to pin yourself to the rock using your right arm and your right hip. I am sort of back-to-front in that I need to use my right arm with my left hip to balance me out, so I’ve developed my own technique.

By high school I was doing a lot more climbing through after-school club, and at 13 my climbing teacher entered me into a competition, the British Mountaineering Council Paraclimbing Series 2010. This was the first ever paraclimbing competition and I came first. I was thrilled; this was the first time I had climbed competitively, under pressure.

I have three sisters and a brother – 20, 18, me at 17, one at 11 and my little brother is nine. They are huge supporters and help me with fundraising and, of course, come and watch me climb. Last year was a real struggle, but this year is better. My family have helped to get sponsorship with dress-down days at work and non-uniform days at school.

We have some funding from First Bus and the Yorkshire Meatball Company, but we always need more. It’s not a cheap sport, with all the equipment needed.

I won a sporting hero award [at the York Press Community Pride Awards, announced in October 2013], which was a huge surprise because I didn’t know anything about it, so that was incredible. I was up against so many inspirational people – I couldn’t believe I had won.

I am now an assistant coach and teach kids from about eight to 12, able-bodied. But I plan to specialise and teach disabled kids in the future, hopefully one-armed.

It would be amazing if the Paralympics would recognise climbing as an event. We’ve missed out on Rio and we’re still waiting to hear about 2020. I know that I get so much inspiration from watching Paralympic athletes, so if my sport were recognised, I think that would be amazing in terms of inspiring the next generation of athletes.”
 

Further details

Visit Sianagh's website http://sianaghgallagher.co.uk/?page_id=189 for more information. You can sponsor Sianagh via her Go Fund Me page www.gofundme.com/3e28t4.

* This article first appeared in benhealth the magazine for members of benenden health (www.benenden.co.uk).