BREEN Olivia

Classification
T38 (IPC, 22 Feb 2021)

Type of Impairment
Cerebral Palsy (skysports.com, 20 Mar 2014)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (skysports.com, 20 Mar 2014)

Impairment Details
She was born with a meningitis-type illness. The condition resulted in cerebral palsy, a hearing impairment and learning difficulties. Her cerebral palsy affects her balance and coordination, and causes her to make involuntary movements. (dvlcc.org.uk, 01 Jan 2018; skysports.com, 20 Mar 2014)

General
COVID-19 IMPACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 she expressed how as someone with a hearing impairment, it was particularly difficult to understand people wearing face masks. "It is really hard. I lip-read a lot and I watch people's mouths. So when people have masks on I can't lip-read and they have it right over their nose. So when I say to people, 'I'm deaf' and show them my hearing aids, I have to say to them, 'Please can you stand back and take off your mask' because it's impossible. I'm dreading when I go to London [England] or something, getting on public transport. If there is a problem on the train, it is going to be hard. I just want to get awareness out there as much as possible and show people how hard it is going to be for deaf people." (skysports.com, 30 Jul 2020)

INJURY FRUSTRATION
Despite finishing on the podium at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, and the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, Germany, she had a frustrating year due to injuries. She developed tendinitis in her right knee shortly before the Commonwealth Games and was affected by colitis [inflammation of the colon] later in the year. "Time will tell whether this [her colitis] is an ongoing problem but hopefully we will be able to control it. It has definitely been something of an issue [in 2018]." (skysports.com, 09 Oct 2018)

CHANGING COACH
She placed seventh in the 100m and 12th in the long jump at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and was then told shortly before the relay was due to start that she was not going to be part of the team. Following the Games she decided to move to Loughborough, England, to work with coach Aston Moore, and went on to win gold in the T38 long jump at the 2017 World Championships in London, England. "I met [Aston] in Rio. We just got on. My coach before was great but I knew I just needed to move up to the next level and the next step. I knew if I was to become a better athlete, I had to change something. I just thought, 'This coach knows me a bit' so let's build a relationship, let's see if he'll have me and he took me on. It was the best thing ever and I'm so thankful to have him as a coach." (sportspielonline.com, 09 Aug 2020)