Growing up, Claire was drawn to creative and artistic pursuits: piano and trumpet, drawing, reading. At 17, her life changed when she started experiencing mobility issues. Two years later she was diagnosed with dystonia, a neurological condition characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms.

Claire found boccia at a local club, and credits Great Britain’s coaches with inviting her to a Talent Event in 2015 that served as a turning point in her career. During this event, Claire was selected to participate in the World Class Programme at Boccia UK, marking a dramatic increase in trainings per week (jumping from 1 to 4).

In Rio 2016, Claire made history becoming the first Boccia athlete from Northern Ireland to compete in the Paralympics. She went on to represent Great Britain in Tokyo2020(1), and becoming World Champion at the 2022 World Championships.

That said, there’s been a lot of ups and downs along the way and she shares about some of the challenges she’s faced as an athlete with dystonia. When we asked Claire what she wished she knew earlier, she was quick to point to the generations before sharing, “people who have already been through this experience are great foundations of knowledge that we can rely on.” She went further, encouraging young athletes to “find your community of people who will help and support you.”

Heading into her third Paralympics, Claire is hoping to “enjoy the experience as then I will play the best that I can.” When we asked her about her legacy and what she wants to be known she shares how “I want to be an inspiration for what I do on the boccia court.”

At age five, Danusia Francis watched Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia compete on TV, and decided then and there that she wanted to be an Olympic gymnast. 22 years later, Danusia’s dream is coming true: she’ll be Jamaica‘s second-ever Olympic gymnast.

Flame Bearers is the first global storytelling platform, illuminating the unsung stories of resilient women Olympians & Paralympians. We are a community driving positive change, building connections, and creating a space where women athletes feel valued and empowered to share their stories. We tell stories via podcast, video and live events, giving women Olympians & Paralympians a platform to share their trials and triumphs, discuss what life is like outside the games, what matters most to them, and bring unique perspectives to their stories. These stories deserve to be heard. Because they inspire us, help us to understand the world better, and move us to tap into our own resilience.

Dr. Natalia Siuba-Jarosz is an elite Polish Parasnowboarder and Doctor in Radiology. She has gone by Simba ever since her last name was misspelled in grade school, and the nickname stuck. In this episode we hear how Natalia balances both the world’s of elite snowboarding and being a doctor, as well as her thoughts on women in the sport. Hint: we need more women. “Now it’s changing, but almost all of the coaches from other teams are men…It’s hard to be a disabled woman in Poland.”

Dr. Seun Adigun is the first African to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. She spearheaded the first female bobsled team from her country, and track and field runner but that’s not all, she’s also a biomechanist, chiropractor and founder. According to Dr. Adigun, “You have to pave the way so that others can follow.” She’s deeply dedicated to making sure that while she was the first, she’s not the last. In today’s episode, we discuss her commitment to diversity and equity within the Olympic movement.