Lucy reaches for court stardom

Lucy Buxton may only be 17 but she’s already slam-dunked the sports scholarship of her dreams. Hoping to represent England in the European basketball Championships 2010, she checks in with Cathy Reay for a quick grilling on her motivation and goals.

What’s the best thing about being disabled?
I like being able to take out my cochlear implant at night and not have any noise interrupt my sleep. It’s also helpful when I’m arguing with my parents!

What funny things get said about your impairment?
Nothing, really. Mostly, people misunderstand me.

What makes you angry?
I’m a perfectionist so if I’m not winning I get annoyed. I also tend to feel bad if I’ve taken an exam or something and I know I haven’t done as well as I could have. When I see discrimination in action, too, I get really angry.

If you were Prime Minister, what would you do to improve things for disabled people?
I’d increase funding for disabled people to be given more opportunities to take part in regular life. For example, deaf children often go to specialised deaf schools because there isn’t always the support needed for them to attend a hearing school. I’d also introduce exchange programmes, as I went to Australia recently on one and loved it.

What invention could make your life better?
A solution to deafness! Failing that, a waterproof cochlear implant would be really useful, as you get quite sweaty when doing exercise. Better batteries would also be handy.

What do you like most about basketball?
Winning! Team spirit is great too, coming together to achieve a goal.

What do you like least about basketball?
Losing in a tight game, as it gets really frustrating.

Who’s your favourite disabled person ever?
Tanni Grey-Thompson. She’s so inspirational as an athlete. She made people realise that being disabled doesn’t stop you from achieving your goals.

Do you have any special or hidden talents?
Sport is my talent, but I’ve also got really flexible thumbs!

Can you sum yourself up in ten words or less?
Positive, hardworking, energetic, competitive, enjoyable, caring chatterbox!