CUNNINGTON Tammy

Classification
S4, SB3, SM4 (IPC, 01 Aug 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (paralympic.ca, 03 Aug 2015)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (paralympic.ca, 03 Aug 2015)

Impairment Details
At age six she was hit by debris [a propeller] after two planes collided at an air show in Ponoka, AB, Canada. Her injuries resulted in muscle and nerve damage through her hips and legs. She retained full use of her right arm, core and shoulders. (paralympic.ca, 03 Aug 2015; swimming.ca, 01 Sep 2016)

General
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
She admitted disappointment at her results at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and says she considered retirement afterwards. However, she was persuaded to continue competing following a welcome home celebration for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. "When I went to the celebration, they had the Olympic and Paralympic athletes together and so I had an opportunity to talk with some of the Olympic athletes who had had disappointing games as well. It was nice to have that camaraderie together and talk about it. That was really a cathartic experience to go through it with someone who felt the same way." (rdnewsnow.com, 20 Mar 2017; olympic.ca, 02 Nov 2016)

POST-RIO FILM
Her life story was the subject of a short film called 'Power On Water' that received two awards at the 2019 Central Alberta Film Festival. The film portrays her life and journey to the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, "It's a little bit more focused on Rio and what it took for me to get to the Paralympics. But it's also about the full journey from the time I was injured when I was six. There's also a conversation about how Rio didn't go how I wanted, and how I handled it afterwards and things like that." (reddeerexpress.com, 11 Feb 2019; thecacheproject.ca, 01 Jan 2016)

AMBASSADOR
She has served as an ambassador for 'Fast and Female' in Canada. The organisation supports girls age eight to 14 to stay healthy and active in sports. She has also served as an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation and worked with the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, AB, Canada. (tammycunnington.com, 01 Jan 2020)