A heartbroken Bethany Woodward has handed back her relay medal she won from an event in the past four years saying that one of her team mates was, “giving us an unfair advantage.”
“I was heartbroken,” she said adding,” I feel like we won a medal I don’t believe was true. I don’t want this medal anymore .. I can step away with a clear conscience “.
“It’s not about world records, gold medals. Paralympic sport is about disabled people pushing themselves forward and overcoming their diversity. Handing back this medal will mean all the medals I won are to do with me, my cerebral palsy and my strength.”
Bethany, who won an individual silver medal at London 2012, gave up her funding and walked away from the sport, claiming she had lost faith in the way the team was selected.
“In London 2012 there was no-one in my classification I thought shouldn’t be there .. but then suddenly classes seemed to be opening up. It was like a snowball of lots of people coming in and no way of saying: ‘Hold on, is this right?”