TEAM TRINITY Melanie is currently in her third year of Microbiology at Trinity, and lives on campus. She was recently awarded a Trinity Sport Scholarship and is supported with access to strength and conditioning training, high-performance facilities, lifestyle, and academic support. ‘My life plan was to complete my degree and work in microbiology, never to become a full-time athlete or work in sports, because I didn’t have that opportunity with motocross.’ Currently, Griffith plays wheelchair basketball, wheelchair badminton and wheelchair rugby league – the next few months will be huge for Melanie. ‘The Irish wheelchair basketball team are competing in the Great Britain league this year, and we’re going to the European Championships this summer. In wheelchair rugby league, the annual international competition, the Celtic Cup, is taking place in June and I’ve two camps in between now and then to make that team. I’m also going to Spain for an international wheelchair badminton tournament – this will give me a good guide of where I can go in the future.’ Melanie’s main goal is to reach the Paralympics with one of her sports. For now, wheelchair badminton with Ireland seems to have the best Paralympic potential as she played able-bodied for ten years before her accident, so it comes very naturally to her. Griffith was also approached by NextGen, a Paralympics Ireland programme to find Paralympians for 2028 and beyond. ‘There was an event in each province, where there were representatives from each sport in one location. I was asked to try archery, shooting, shotput, everything really – so this is me narrowing down my sporting options!’ It has been 19 months since her accident, and apart from her own Paralympic goals – she also hopes to become an advocate for disability sports. Melanie’s challenges and experiences will undoubtedly inspire others to pursue their own chosen sport.
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