McGRORY Amanda

Classification
T54 (IPC, 19 Feb 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Athlete, 17 Jul 2017)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 17 Jul 2017)

Impairment Details
She received an allergy shot at age five and her spinal cord became inflamed. She then developed a rare condition called transverse myelitis. Within a day, she had developed paraplegia. "I think there was one chance in six million that this would happen. But I think it's usually better when you are young because kids are resilient." (patch.com, 22 Jul 2012; nyrr.org, 26 Feb 2010)

General
APPROACHING RETIREMENT
She works full-time as an archivist and collections curator at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum and, as a result, believes that the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo will likely be her last competition. "When I accepted this position it automatically became my priority. My goal is to continue training and I hope to do a few more road races but I'm also aware that working full-time and training full-time can be a tricky setup. I've been considering retirement for a couple of years now and it's always been my number one priority to be in control of that decision, to select my retirement date and make it a choice versus being forced out by injury or something out of my control. I had a lot of time to think during that application process and I decided it's OK if it turns out this is the end of my career. I'm very happy with my achievements in the athletic world. I don't feel like I have anything to prove to anyone else, or more importantly, I don't feel like I have anything to prove to myself." (teamusa.org, 19 Jan 2021, 06 Aug 2020; LinkedIn profile, 20 Jul 2020)

CHANGING EQUIPMENT
Following a series of disappointing performances during the 2015 season, she and coach Adam Bleakney made the decision to change her racing setup. She had been using the same system during competitions for the previous 10 years, but elected to alter the shape of her racing gloves, her seated position, and her stroke mechanics. "I was scared to change something that worked for so long, but I was so frustrated with my recent performances, I was ready to take a risk. I figured that good or bad, at least the change would bring on new experiences and new opportunities. Luckily for me, I actually ended up faster and stronger than ever before." (news-gazette.com, 04 Dec 2016; tcsnycmarathon.org, 27 Oct 2016)

GIVING BACK
She gives talks in schools and supports fundraisers that aim to help with the costs of equipment for Para athletes. "One of the hardest things about adaptive athletics is the huge barrier to entry because of the cost of the equipment. Every adaptive sport requires a different piece of specialised equipment, and that is not cheap. Even a basic, entry-level racing chair can be close to 2000 USD, which is a huge commitment for a family - especially one with a young child who might not like it or will probably outgrow it in just a few years. Sports have been a huge part of my development as a person. Competing has helped build my self-confidence and my independence. That's why I really love working with adaptive sports programmes whenever I can to help get kids started." (illinois.edu, 18 May 2018)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied for a master's degree in information science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States of America. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jun 2019; Athlete, 17 Jul 2017)