Proud of Samantha’s personal best – paralympic style

Samantha, who lives at our supported living service in Winchester, has set out to prove that she can achieve anything she puts her mind to after stepping out her comfort zone and taking on the Paralympic Personal Best challenge.

This one-day event for people with additional needs is filled with sports to try and activities to enjoy, hosted by Winchester City Council and Winchester Go LD.

Spending the day around new people in an unfamiliar place is a real challenge for Samantha who struggles with socialising. She is at her most comfortable spending time alone at home watching movies or doing crosswords, or enjoying horse riding lessons with her horse, Beanie. Her regular routines also enable her to follow a calorie-controlled diet, crucial for individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

With help from support worker Hayley, Samantha was able to plan for the day, reducing her anxiety enough to have the confidence to attend the event and to cheer everyone on from the side lines.  

However, once there, she surprised everyone by joining in the fun! Taking part in activities including running, tennis, and football, Samantha returned home with her gold medal, certificate, and other prizes – proud of her amazing achievements, and quite rightly so!

Hayley, who has been working with Samantha since she moved into the service 4 years ago, said “I’m so proud of Samantha. I’ve been supporting her since day one, and it’s been fantastic to see her progress, and watch her achieve things she wouldn’t normally feel able to do. She’s amazing, and I personally think everyone should know just how cool she is!”

Well done, Samantha!