Wheelchair basketball gives girl 'new love of life'

A Highland girl has set her sights on the Olympics after taking up wheelchair basketball.

Samantha Slaven, 11, from Inverness, has spina bifida and when she was born her spine was shaped like an "s" because of the spinal condition.

Her spine has improved through ongoing treatment, but she still needs use of a wheelchair almost full time.

Mum Elizabeth, says: "Samantha has quite complex needs. She needs help with feeding and moving about and she had a breathing tube when she was little.

"It's been quite a rough ride for her health-wise."

Samantha Slaven, right, and her friends at Inverness Lions

Socialising with other children at school has also been challenging due to the level of care Samantha requires during class time.

Elizabeth says: "She can sometimes feel lonely in a crowd of people, but through basketball she has found a new love of life."

Samantha was offered a wheelchair basketball taster session after her mum got chatting with Inverness Lions basketball coach Bryan Stevens at a spina bifida event.

The session led to more coaching from Bryan, who also has spina bifida, but there were no other wheelchair-users her age at the club for her to play with.

It was suggested some of Samantha's peers at Inverness Lions could join up and try wheelchair basketball for themselves, and since then the team has gone from strength to strength.

Samantha, second left, has become stronger and grown in confidence, says her mum

Elizabeth says Samantha has become stronger and more confident as a result, while the other girls have gained insights into disability.

"People believe themselves to be disability aware and disabled friendly," says Elizabeth. "But it is not until you are in a wheelchair that you realise what the impact is."

Samantha says she gets excited during club practice sessions.

"I am so happy - I just want to scream when I see them," she says of her team-mates.

"When I get a basket I just look up and open my mouth to try and speak, but I can't,"

Samantha adds: "I want to go to Olympics when I am older, but I am pretty sure I will need a lot of practice and training."

Byran Stevens played wheelchair basketball before taking up coaching

Her coach Bryan says it had always been an ambition of his to coach young people in wheelchair basketball after he stopped playing competitively.

He says: "My passion for basketball started at a young age and stayed with me all the way through.

"So to pass on past experience and get an opportunity to coach these kids is absolutely amazing."