PATTERSON Lakeisha

Classification
S9, SB8, SM9 (IPC, 20 Feb 2021)

Type of Impairment
Cerebral Palsy (pickstar.com.au, 18 Oct 2019)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (pickstar.com.au, 18 Oct 2019)

Impairment Details
She was born bottom first [breech birth], which caused a lack of oxygen and a stroke, and she had to be resuscitated. The trauma led to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy that predominantly affects the movement, coordination and balance on her left side. She also has epilepsy and early onset Parkinson's disease. (futurestategreats.com.au, 22 Jun 2014; quest.newspaperdirect.com, 27 Mar 2014; playersvoice.com.au, 11 Jul 2019)

General
GRATITUDE OFFICER
She works as a gratitude officer at Paralympics Australia. "This role is responsible for reaching out to those who donate towards Paralympics Australia, and simply say thank you personally from an athlete. This role supports the fundraising team by getting to know donors and how to better engage with them." (LinkedIn profile, 01 Nov 2020)

CYBER-BULLYING
She says she has been the target of cyber-bullying since she has become an international Para athlete. "I think it was because I came onto the scene pretty quickly, which led some people to question my ability out of jealousy. I've made a conscious effort to not engage in it. Everyone says to not think about it, but it's very hard to do. It's disheartening that some people don't care about the emotional effect they can have on others. I know it would be so much easier to quit swimming, but that would be giving in to the bullies, and quitting isn't in my vocabulary. When the times get tough, I like to remind myself why I do what I do - I swim because it's healthy for me and I love it. I love the opportunities it brings, and I love how there is always room for improvement." (playersvoice.com.au, 11 Jul 2019)

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE
She swims using only the right side of her body. "I have cerebral palsy left hemiplegia, which means the left side of my body - my arm, trunk and left leg is all impaired - leaving me with loss of coordination, balance and some other issues. So in the water, I'm really just powering home on the right side of my body, which can be quite hard to balance, so I've got to really work on my core and move through the water as fast as I can." (swimswam.com, 15 Sep 2019)