"I heard from a few people in Enable Ireland about Greystones Lawn Tennis Club. They have a Junior Wheelchair Tennis Club which is open to people aged 8 – 18 years old. I went to their summer camp in August 2022. It was lots of fun. The club has sports wheelchairs, which go much faster than standard wheelchairs. I used to think they were so big. I was only 12 and small. They took a bit of getting used to.

During that summer camp, I remember playing this game called ‘Sick, Dying, Dead’ – I think they let me win, but I was so happy that I’d won. When I started at the camp, I was shocking, but as the week went on, I got better and better. By the end, I could actually hit the ball over the net!

After the summer camp was over, I was keen to join the club. I could see that it was a great community, and it was not just about playing tennis. I met other people locally with disabilities, like me. My mam got to meet other mams too. It was a great social space.

I’ve been attending the club for almost three years now. The club has eight people who attend regularly. Most of them have been there since I started, so we’ve all become very close. I like the freedom we get when playing tennis. As we’re all in the sports chairs, it doesn’t feel like we’re the odd ones out. We’re all similar.

The main coach is Sam; he’s the head of Wheelchair Tennis in Greystones. He’s great, he’s funny, but also wants to see you improve. He’s usually easy-going, but he’ll always make sure you learn what you need by the end of the session.

We play every Saturday from September to June, with a little break in the summer. One of the mams does an end-of-year BBQ. When we all get together, it's great craic. There is loads of laughing and joking and having fun. We’ve got shared experiences, so we understand each other and can support each other. Even the coaches go! Last BBQ, Sean brought out an accessible mountain bike, which he climbs up mountains on. We all had a go, and I went up to 40 kmph. I’m a bit of a daredevil!

I’ve learnt through the club that even if you have difficulties in daily life, you can do things and always get better. It’s great for both physical and mental health. The club gets us out having fun. We’ve been invited by Tennis Ireland several times to participate in their Tennis Inclusion Day at Shankill Tennis Club. Those days are really fun. You get to play with other players with different disabilities. I used to sometimes think that because we have different abilities, we couldn’t play well. However, I’ve begun to understand that even if you have different abilities, you can still do well in the sport.

The club is ageing with the people that are in it, the youngest in the club is 11 and the oldest is 22, so there’s a wide range of players. I hope it will continue as we get older. For me, I’d like to continue building my skills – I’d like to continue improving. If I focus on my improvement, that will be fulfilment enough.

If I could describe the club in three words, I’d say: fun, freedom, improvement. We get better and better every time we play and always have fun doing it. I’ve learnt through the club that you can still play and have fun regardless of your ability. We can still exceed and have a life without limits.