Edinburgh Paralympian saw disabled athletes 'mimicked and mocked' while competing

At the age of 24 most people are looking for their big break in life, be it a first graduate job or finding their feet after a spot of travelling.

But for champion Paralympian sprinter Maria Lyle, the opposite is the case. The gifted Edinburgh athlete has already pursued a successful yet challenging athletics career only to call it a day before her 25th birthday.

Her journey as a Paralympian saw her not only compete at Rio 2016 and the Tokyo games in 2021 but also thrive - winning four medals for Team GB across the 100m and 200m events. The 24-year-old, who grew up in Dunbar with cerebral palsy, overcame massive odds to be a success. Although she looks back fondly on her achievements, she has been left battling PTSD relating to her time as an athlete.

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Maria has opened up on the difficulties she faced as a sprinter and claims there was a two-tier treatment of Olympians and Paralympians at UK Athletics. Now living in Portobello and focusing on her next step in life as a receptionist at an Edinburgh law firm, Maria has opened up on the highs and lows of competing at the highest level in the T-35 sprint category within Paralympic sports.

Maria was born with cerebral palsy, something she describes as an ‘umbrella term for a brain injury.’ Her mother developed shingles while pregnant and after the birth, Maria had difficulty with coordination and muscle movement. Her brain was unable to send messages to her limbs effectively, mostly impacted her legs and right arm.

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“When I was a child I was not aware of it,” Maria said. “I’d fall over a lot in the playground but being from a small town, and not being around other disabled people, I did not view myself as having a disability.

“I always thought of someone in a wheelchair as being disabled. My mum and dad had to fight a lot for me in school but to be honest I was blissfully unaware as my parents treated me the exact same way as my sister.

“I was always treated the same and there were no excuses which was good. Some people with disabilities can be wrapped up in cotton wool but I had to figure out how to be independent.

“The way I’ve been brought up meant I was not stopped by or experienced negativity with my disability. I would struggle a bit in the playground and on sports days always coming in last place but it was doing the beep test in P4 when I realised I had something.

“My mum was my PE teacher and I remember thinking ‘oh great, here is another opportunity to look bad.’ But she told me to get on with it and that is how I’ve lived my life.

“I completed most of the levels and beat everyone in my class. It was my first sense of achievement and I said to my parents after that I wanted to be a runner.

“They both took me out and helped me join the local running club in Dunbar where I really enjoyed life. It was a real highlight of my childhood to go to the club and travel to competitions.

“It was the first time I felt I could keep up with people and the inclusion had a positive impact on my mental health.”

Maria was inspired by the London Paralympics when she was 12 and set her sights immediately on the Rio games. She began to compete internationally at various events with her mum encouraging her to stick with her training.

The East Lothian runner took to sprinting like a duck to water and at the age of 14 she broke the world record for the 100m and 200m sprints at the Euro Championships in Swansea - a sign she was destined for great things. Maria heralds this as her breakthrough, winning two golds while representing Team GB in Wales in front of her family.

“Rio was always the target from being 12 and I set my mind on making sure I got there but the journey was not great,” she said. “After the European Championships I got a taste of classifications and medical assessments that led to you being placed in a specific sports class.

“This is supposed to place you in categories with athletes that have similar ability levels and disabilities but I found the experience very challenging. I found myself competing against people who I thought were far more able than I was.

Despite being extremely hopeful, Maria said the experience of Rio had the shine taken off it due to the chaos of classification.

She added: "I was selected in the first round of the Team GB process and when collecting my kit I was so excited as I’d worked towards this for years.

“When we arrived in Brazil a couple of weeks before the games I remember people telling us that no one would watch us. But I was taken aback by the amazing crowds and the memory of walking out into the stadium will stay with me forever.

“After winning my bronze in the 200m final I was told I was not allowed to do a victory lap as they were running behind schedule but I thought to myself I may never get this opportunity again, so I just did it anyway.

“The cheers I received were amazing and the locals wrapped me in a Brazilian flag - they were the nicest people. It is something I will keep with me forever.”

Maria ended up bringing home three medals from the games, a bronze in the 100m and 200m as well as a silver as part of the relay team. Describing her experience in the Olympic village, Maria was immensely positive. But the memory of her first games turned sour as she opened up on the politics involved in representing Team GB.

She was under a lot of pressure at 16 and claimed she was not properly supported by UK Athletics.

“How everything worked was very hard to deal with at the age of 16,” she added. “Your funding is all dependent on your success and is weighted on medals, I felt I was thrown into an adult world without having the right people around me.

“You were left on your own and told to go out and win medals. You never got a ‘well done’ unless you brought back a gold and this made you feel you weren’t good enough.

“I came away from Rio a bit gutted but I learned what I had to do in order to maintain my spot and sponsorship contracts. It was a lot of pressure for someone who is essentially a child.

“There was a lot of discrimination and injustices going on. You were always told to be quiet and be grateful.

“I remember not getting the same level of kit as the Olympic athletes, nor the same money or opportunities at training camps. I had physios refuse to treat me, I don’t know if it was because they felt uncomfortable.

“There was a hierarchy of treatment in my experience as Olympic athletes were the priority and we were told we should wait our turn. I was requesting treatment from a physio but they said I would have to sit in wait as the Olympians had priority.

“I sat outside having my lunch and I was rushed in but by the time I’d sat down on the bench they’d told me to get up as an Olympic athlete had shown up. I broke down in tears because I was in so much pain.”

Although she faced setbacks, Maria once again tasted success at the Tokyo games that were delayed due to Covid, a competition she said holds great memories for her. Unable to have family travel to the games due to restrictions, she was joined by her childhood coach Jamie Bowie and managed to achieve her fastest time in six years.

“I won two bronze again in the 100m and 200m,” she said. “It was a bizarre games due to the restrictions and the Olympic village was the only place we could really mix.

“The volunteers were so lovely and I was given gifts while there. It was a really special games for me, and one of my favourite memories from athletics.

“I’d love to go back to the country. It was amazing.”

But Maria overall has been left scarred by her experiences, claiming to have witnessed staff and volunteers mimicking and mocking disabled athletes when at the Paralympics. When she tried to raise this, she alleged she was told to ‘stop gossiping.’

She also claimed when she responded negatively to a survey asking if she felt valued as an athlete, she was added to a Whatsapp group chat along with her peers by bosses and told to deny their reality.

“I felt when you raised issues they failed to take responsibility,” she continued. “When I worked alongside the physios, it was probably the most discriminated against I’ve felt in my life.

“I was always planning on retiring this year, which sounds weird at 24, but I’d competed professionally for ten years and felt it was time. I had an eye on the Paralympics in Paris but after my experiences in the sport I was at breaking point.

“After considering my options in April, I thought I’d go out on a high as the Tokyo games were really positive for me. I look back at the decision and have no regrets as I want my final memories to be amazing.

“Nothing is worth putting yourself through mental turmoil and I felt I had endured enough as an athlete. It was important for me to have respect for myself and put my well being first.

“I can watch athletics without wishing that it was me, I’m enjoying being a spectator for now.”

Maria admits suffering a decline in her mental health and had to reach out for help a couple of years ago. She was diagnosed with PTSD - a diagnosis she struggled to come to terms with as she felt it was overly dramatic and was a condition that was only fair to attribute to those in war zones.

“I’m really sensitive to my career now, I find it difficult rewatching old races as it brings back many bad memories,” she said. “I’m on edge and it has been hard to move on but I’m now focused on looking forward to the next part of my life.

“It sounds really dull but I just want a normal job and to be with friends and family. I’m still keeping fit and exercising but I want to enjoy being in my 20s.

“It sounds funny but I’ve never been super competitive and it is nice to do sport for enjoyment. My worth is not based on times and positions, and looking back none of it really aligned with my values.

“I got a job as a receptionist in a law firm in Edinburgh and I’m doing charity work with Can Do who provide opportunities to young people with additional needs. I’m excited to get back on my feet and I’m just adjusting to the 9-5 lifestyle. It’s nice to enjoy the simplicity of the normal.”

Having tasted incredible success as a professional athlete, Maria offered advice to anyone looking to follow in her footsteps, advising that they keep their options open and maintain a balance in their life.

“I’d say the most important thing is to have balance and try lots of different disciplines early as it will improve you both in athletics and outside,” she said. “It is important to know that at the end of the day it is just sport.

“It is not the end of the world if you do not accomplish every goal and now reflecting on my own journey, I’d say stick at it so long as you enjoy yourself and are happy and healthy. Always stay true to your values and remind yourself what is important in life.

“Sport is an extremely powerful tool for people with disabilities and it allowed me to become a better version of myself. Feeling included is so important.

“I’ve now built up a network of friends and experiences from around the world and that is extremely powerful. I really value the sense of belonging and community I got from competing.”

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UK Athletics's World Class Programme is a National Lottery funded initiative for sports looking to deliver success at major Games and Championships. All athletes on the Programme – Olympic and Paralympic – have the same access to mental health support through Cognacity.

Dedicated Paralympic staff work across medical, psych, performance and Strength and Conditioning which all athletes on the Paralympic programme can access. There is also an Exit programme in place for athletes when leaving WCP which includes access to Mental Health support via UK Sport and UK Athletics said athletes can reach out to this at any time two years after leaving the programme.

A UKA Statement read: “UK Athletics proudly support 107 athletes – Olympic and Paralympic - on our World Class Programme. We aim to deliver parity in our support across these programmes to achieve success at major Games and Championships.

“We are thankful for Maria’s contributions to Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams over the years and wish her the best of luck in the next chapter of her life.”