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He'll Push To Atlanta 96
John Harris - International Athlete, Weight Trainer,Fitness Consultant and the Voice of Disabled Sport.
John Harris is one of Great Britain's elite athletes. His achievements in Disabled Sport rival those of our top able-bodied superstars. As a member of the British Team performing the Paralympic Games in 1984, he collected the Olympic Gold Medal for Discus. At the 1988 Seoul Games, he brought home a Silver in the Discus and a Bronze in the Pentathlon.
He looks set to produce even more medals in this year's event in Atlanta Georgia, USA
Never afraid to speak his mind, John has been a leading figure in Disabled Sport which has seen tremendous developments in the last 10 years. The law now requires that UK Leisure Centres must provide access for disabled people, but as he has said "what do we do when we are inside?"
John has a passion for weight training and a message for anyone willing to listen. So one Saturday afternoon I drove 300km to Wales and interviewed John and find out what makes him tick...
NM: What is the situation at present regarding the provision of weight training for disabled people in this country. And how do we compare to other major countries?
John: To be honest its actually getting better. At one time it was absolutely abysmal. Now disabled people are becoming more aware of their rights and pursuing their local leisure centres. I say do it, just go along and say to them let us use this facility.
The PVSH Centre is at the leading edge in Great Britain. I've been to loads of countries and spoken to lots of disabled people. They all say you've got it better in Britain. We all tend to beef a little bit about our own countries, but here we've actually got off our butts and done something about it. The Institute at Cyn Coed has been wonderful. They run the place and we share the costs fifty-fifty. It's a facility second to none.
NM: A friend and I recently discussed the idea of disabled and able-bodied people weight training alongside each other. He then played devil's advocate and said, "yes but would able-bodied people feel comfortable with such an arrangement?"
How would you answer that?
John: I would say that there are going to be a certain amount of people that would feel uncomfortable. All I can go by is what we have here at Cyn Coed. We have quite a few wheelchair people training alongside eight or nine hundred students and public. We use Powersport Integra Equipment designed to offer equal opportunities for able -bodied and disabled use. A friend of mine Mark Hill is into body-building in a big way. He has got 45cm (18 inch) arms and a 125cm (49 inch) chest so in a wheelchair he's a big guy. The students try to pick his brains. They have no problems training with him because they want to learn from him.
I trained at Pontypool many years ago and the Rugby Club physiotherapists used to send the players to me for routines. When I appeared in ITV's 'This is Your Life' in 1986 all those players came on the programme. This showed me that the disability is secondary.
NM: You've had a long and successful career as an international athlete. What direction will your training take after the Paralympics this year?
John: I know it may sound stupid at 50 years of age, but I want to be a bodybuilder. I've always trained on weights for specific reasons such as throwing or pushing. And just when my body starts taking shape I have to tail off. By the time I'm 60 I want to have a body like Albert Beckles.
In 1997 Chris Hallam and I plan to push around Wales to raise something like £100,000 to keep the Centre going. That's my legacy for people with a disability. I've had a lot out of sport and if I can put a little back then that's my thanks to the people that have helped me over the years, and to the disabled people that follow me.
All the best at Atlanta, mate! We're behind you all the way! - Ed.People Versus Handicapped' weight training facility newly opened at Cyn Ceod University, Cardiff
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