Victoria was born with bilateral talipes, also known as clubfoot, and is now an incredible para athlete and Steps Ambassador.
"On a recent search of clubfoot on social media, I learnt about a fair few young children and their anxious parents who are dealing with their child’s diagnosis of talipes or club foot.
I can imagine that being a parent is a daunting enough task but having to come to terms with the logistical and emotional challenges a ‘disability’ can offer must also create an added strain.
The more I’ve learnt about talipes and how it affected me when I was younger, the more respect I have for my single Mum who did such an incredible job of instilling the idea that I was no different from anybody else. If I’m honest, I think it’s because I wasn’t allowed to be or even thought to be different, but throughout my childhood I felt I was.
Even to this day I’m not very body confident. That being said, athletics has allowed me to accept my appearance and learn to love my differences for what they are - different.
In a world where we’re constantly trying to be a distinctive individual and stand out from the crowd, I’ve learnt that having a disability is actually pretty great. But if it wasn’t for athletics and my classification I would never have thought that way.
I really want young people with talipes or club foot to skip the difficult parts that I had as a kid and to feel that they are capable of doing anything. I know that isn’t possible for everyone, and I know that your disability will offer you challenges that others won’t have to deal with. But that doesn’t mean that others won’t have to face challenges that you won’t...
It’s 100% ok to be different, if anything it makes you stronger. Kids with talipes, you can do absolutely anything if you put your mind to it. If something isn’t right, it’s up to you to change it 😉 and parents - you got this. If my Mum can do it, so can you