Meet Tully!
Tully is an extremely talented young woman who has lived in Manchester since she was a teenager, moving here to train at the National Performance Centre for British Para-Swimming – based at the Aquatics Centre in town centre. As you may have guessed, Tully is not your average swimmer: she’s a current reigning triple Freestyle World Champion and member of the GB Para-Swimming team training for the Tokyo Paralympics!
Tully is much more than just an athlete, however, as during her time in Manchester she enrolled onto a Human Physiology degree at Manchester Metropolitan University in which she is now studying for a Masters. Her ambition after university is to undertake the NHS Clinical Scientist training in Manchester, the city she now calls home.
Tully was born with Cerebral Palsy and developed Generalised Dystonia as a teenager, a progressive disease which has worsened and curtailed some of her athletic achievements – including missing out on Rio Paralympics in 2016.
With the deterioration in her movement, Tully’s day to day is more of a struggle as a full-time wheelchair user and conflicts with both her quality of life and ability to train. As an elite athlete she is only eligible for expenses covering living/travel and such is unable to afford anything that would support her outside of this.
We are awarding her £5,368 for a TriRide SP-Light specialised motor attachment to her wheelchair, which would increase her independence in undertaking Clinical Specialist training, achieving the performances she’s dreamt of in Tokyo, and in her life in Manchester.
“I just wanted to say thank you so much We Love MCR Charity! You really don’t know how much this will help me on my journey to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and beyond, as well as my university studies and hopes to train as a clinical scientist. This will give me what every disabled person wants – and that’s independence! I’m just so grateful and can’t thank you enough!”
We’re delighted to have supported Tully, and can’t wait to see her fly the flag for Manchester, as well as GB, in Tokyo!